HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2017-09-25BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Regular Meeting 4:45 p.m. September 25, 2017
PRESENT:
Mayor Myrick
Commissioners (5) – McCormick, Morache, Warden, Jenkins, Greene
OTHERS PRESENT:
Information Management Specialist - Myers
Director of Engineering – Logue
Common Council Liaison – Fleming
Supt. of Public Works - Thorne
Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities – Benjamin
Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer – Whitney
Director of Parking – Nagy
Call to Order/Agenda Review:
Supt. Thorne requested postponing the discussion of Item 13B entitled “Continuing
Discussion of Installing a Four-Way Stop at the Clinton/Plain Street Intersection” from
the agenda for discussion at future meeting.
No Board Member Objected.
Communications and Hearings From Persons Before the Board:
The following people addressed the Board in opposition to the Proposed West
State/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street Re-Design Project:
Wanda Holub, Town of Ithaca
Mike Kasel, City of Ithaca
Lou Sposito, City of Ithaca
Nick Lambrou, City of Ithaca
Sophie Zapala, Town of Ithaca
Mark Bodenstein, City of Ithaca
Chris Delacote, Town of Ithaca
The following people addressed the Board in support for the Proposed West
State/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street Re-Design Project:
Margo Bryn, City of Ithaca
Alderperson 1st Ward George McGonigal
David Spurgin, City of Ithaca
Diana Ozolins, City of Ithaca
Andrejs Ozolins, City of Ithaca
Pat Dutt, Town of Ithaca
Genie Hurme, City of Ithaca
Jan Schwartzberg, City of Ithaca
David Nutter, City of Ithaca
Andrew Palagcak, Town of Ithaca
Victoria Armstrong, City of Ithaca
David West, City of Ithaca
Alderperson 1st Ward Cynthia Brock
Anneka Ryan, City of Ithaca
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Kelda McGurk, City of Ithaca
Sarah Robarge, City of Ithaca
Ben Komar, City of Ithaca
Alderperson 2nd Ward Ducson Nguyen
Rick Manning, City of Ithaca
Charlie Wilson, City of Ithaca
Response to the Public:
Mayor Myrick thanked everyone for their comments and suggested that people also e-
mail their comments to Board members. He stated that the comments made both for
and against the project have all made sense to him.
Director of Engineer Logue responded that he sent an e-mail to the West Hill listserve
late last week that provided the following information:
“There have been many concerns recently expressed on the West Hill listserve,
including some directed specifically to me. My personal email was on the old WHCA
listserv, but not on IWest, but I have seen or been copied on a number of recent listserv
messages, so I have a fairly good sense of the conversations. I also understand that a
number of people are planning to attend the Board of Public Works meeting on Monday.
I'm writing to let you know that I will be listening to all the responses, attempting to
catalog them, and provide written responses to them all. I've tried responding to some
things, but information is going to different people and then parts are being passed
along to others, but there is not a unified source of info. So, after the BPW on Monday,
and in large part based on their direction, I will prepare project information sheet to try to
respond to comments. I'm not sure how long that will take, but I expect it will be
sometime into October. Due to the holiday on Indigenous Peoples' Day, the BPW will
meet on 10/2 and 10/23 in October. I'm not sure that it can be finished by 10/2, but I will
strive to include it in the agenda packet for the 10/23 meeting. If it is finished sooner, I
will send it to this email group, and of course, you can disseminate further as needed.
The other thing I wanted to address now is Cynthia's recent email indicating that the
project cannot be stopped. This isn't the way I would put it. Truthfully, if the City doesn't
want to proceed with the project, we aren't committed to it. Common Council or the
BPW could decide to not proceed. There would be consequences - like possibly losing
federal aid or a perception that the City is not always likely to deliver a project on time or
increased construction costs after a delay, but until there is the proverbial shovel in the
ground (and, really even then), the project can be stopped. That said, I am not
interested in seeing this project derailed. I think it's a good project and it does a good
job in trying to balance all the interests for this corridor within the limitations that every
project inevitably has. I understand the fears and concerns and I don't take them lightly,
but I think the project as designed overall will be a positive transformation for the
corridor without having significant negative impacts on the time it takes to drive a motor
vehicle through it.
In the meantime, feel free to continue to express your concerns, support or questions
about the project.”
Director of Engineering Logue further stated that Common Council, at their September
6, 2017 meeting, sent the resolution back to the Board of Public Works for
reconsideration regarding the mid-block traffic signal portion of the project. Once the
Board of Public Works has made a decision on the preliminary design related to that
item, the resolution needs to go back to Common Council for final approval of the
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funding for the project. For him, the biggest issue is the project’s budget and whether it
will cover the cost for both signals.
Mayor Myrick asked what the latest time is that staff would need to know and still
maintain the current project schedule if significant changes are proposed.
Director of Engineering Logue responded that it will depend upon the scope of work and
involvement of the design consultant - if updated alternative designs that incorporate the
suggested changes need to be done. To some extent, some modifications could still be
made well into the fall depending on what they are. However, if the design consultant is
involved, the City will need a budget and scope of work in order for that to occur. In the
meantime, he is happy to share what has been done and try to address some of the
concerns raised. He did note that additional traffic studies (not just the one done in
early August 2014) were conducted using GPS units in cars and while all schools were
in session in order to record typical congestion and the design of the project was based
on that information.
Mayor Myrick wondered whether the City might be able to work with the railroad to see
if they might be able to reschedule when the train comes through the City so that it does
not conflict with peak travel times.
Director of Engineering Logue responded that the short answer is, the City can’t.
Although that is not to say that our current Mayor might not have more success than
others in the past, if he approached the railroad. The last time this was discussed, the
Department of Transportation told the City that they can’t do anything unless the
railroad is doing something illegal or causing other types of problems. He noted that
trains are running though the City a lot less often than in the past; the train used to go
through the City twice a day. In addition, theoretically, the railroad is supposed to call
the 9-1-1 Center before traveling through the City so emergency services can be staged
appropriately; he doesn’t believe that is happening currently.
Commissioner Morache stated that, to him, this project brings a bigger question that
should be answered considering the new development that will be occurring on West
Hill both in and outside the City which will result in increased traffic. Because of all that
development, would it make sense that an elementary school be brought back into the
neighborhood. Considering so many people from West Hill and beyond have to drive
their kids to either BJM Elementary School or Cayuga Heights Elementary School. It
might make sense to think about what that would mean as far as traffic congestion.
Should the City encourage the school district to add another elementary school on West
Hill? It has been stated that cars go back and forth taking and picking up kids in
elementary schools since the bus will not pick them up if they live less than a mile and
half from the school. The other issue to consider is what, if anything, could be done
with the delays that occur at Fulton and Meadow Streets because of the traffic signal
timing. If something could be changed with the timing of the signals it would also help
decrease some of the congestion.
Director of Engineering Logue agreed that there have been large developments
proposed for West Hill, and that a new elementary school would shorten a lot of
commute distances from West Hill. He stated that the Ithaca City School District would
be the authority to determine if one is warranted and be responsible for its construction.
Commissioner Warden stated that he appreciates both the pros and cons that have
been shared; he also wants the Board to respond to the public’s needs. He shared that
he is a bicyclist and lives at the top of Campbell Avenue; he avoids Route 79 and takes
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Route 96 because of poor visibility at the intersection at the bottom of Hector Street. He
has concerns about that intersection and is happy that its redesign is included in the
plan. He noted that the City, though the years, has been constantly making changes to
this area, and he hopes the redesign of the intersection will make it safer for everyone.
Commissioner McCormick thanked everyone for their comments. He stated that as a
commissioner for the Board of Public Works he hasn’t taken much responsibility for
sharing BPW agenda items and decisions with the public as he thinks the public should
take responsibility for being informed about the activities of their local municipality.
However, after the comments today, he feels that as a BPW member that board
members could do more to reach out to the public with information about projects
occurring around the City that would ensure more public comment earlier and longer
than what is currently taking place. He is hopeful, that after today’s comments, that
Board members will make deliberate efforts to share information about projects
occurring around the City with the public. Further, the effects on areas outside of the
West State/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street project need to also be considered and
considered with future projects because there will be impacts that may affect traffic flow
and neighborhoods in a negative way. It has already been noted by the public and
another Board member that they take an alternate route because it is safer (i.e. Route
96 instead of Route 79). He is personally aware of how impacts outside a project area
affect neighborhoods because he lives in a neighborhood where people cut through
rather than taking the main roads because it is quicker and easier. He hopes those
impacts are considered in the future. In this case, beyond the project area, the City
needs to find a way to release traffic beyond the train tracks to lessen congestion –
such as timing the traffic lights to get traffic through; he feels that could use some more
study at this time in relation to this project.
Commissioner Greene thanked everyone for their comments, and agreed that the public
turn out to today’s meeting is a definite sign that the Board and the City must do a better
job in outreach to the public about all types of different projects occurring so they can
become informed and provide input earlier in the process. Based on his interaction with
staff and other Board members he knows there has been a lot of thought and
discussion on this project. It's a real conundrum to balance everyone's needs in this
situation especially since this is a project that is federally funded and on a clock.
Further, he feels that walkability in cities is really important and is what makes cities
livable; cities exist for people, not for cars and we all need to remember that. As such, in
order for the public to get around the City, the means by which they do that need to be
safe and accessible so anywhere in the City someone might want to go, there is a safe
way for them.
Mayor Myrick stated that he will look forward to the report from the engineering student
that spoke at today’s meeting about what the removal of that lane will mean. It appears
that the choke point is actually at the intersection past the train tracks at Meadow and
Fulton Streets; he does not feel that reducing traffic lanes will delay traffic any longer
than it does now. The negatives of any possible delays and problems experienced by
the proposed changes are far outweighed by the increased safety for bicyclists and
pedestrians. What would be good is for Director of Engineering Logue to have his
written response to the comments available to both Board members as well as the
public prior to the Board of Public Works meeting on October 23, 2017. He encouraged
the public to attend that meeting when the Board will discuss the project again, as it
might be in a position to make a decision at that meeting.
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Commissioner McCormick shared that his decision as to whether to revisit some or all
of the project will hinge largely on Director of Engineering Logue’s response to the new
comments received. He agreed that it would be very helpful if the Board and public
could have that information prior to the meeting on October 23, 2017 so they have time
to review it.
Commissioner Warden noted that a lot of the public today noted that there aren’t a lot of
bicyclists and pedestrians using this area right now. However, what he has been
hearing is “if you build it they will come”. There will be an increase in bicyclists and
pedestrians if the redesign is completed and makes it safer for them to use the area to
get to and from different destinations around the City.
Reports:
Asst. Supt. Benjamin reported that crews paved Linden Avenue near Dryden Road
today; the intersection at Dryden Road will be done tomorrow. The crew will then work
on Stone Quarry Road from the city line to the intersection at Spencer Road to put an
overlay of pavement on the road. The City is trying to take advantage of the good
weather and asphalt plant being open as much as it can.
Commissioner Jenkins stated that the City’s tree trimmers cut down the trees near her
home on West Green Street and did a perfect job. She would like the City to investigate
a hump in the street in this same area because when it is hit, like it was just recently,
one of the jacks on her house was caused to shift which resulted in cracks that are
getting worse each day. She further noted that some property owners on West Green
Street don’t want the trees that were cut replaced.
Director of Engineering Logue reported that NYSEG is pushing to do a lot of late season
work because of the good weather. They are almost done with College Avenue, they
will then move to the 400 block of South Albany Street, and then up the hill on East
Buffalo Street.
Asst. Supt. Whitney reported that the pump station was lost on Pier Road due to
NYSEG transformer issues. The pump station is now back up and working and also
now has a manual pump as do all the other pump stations. Proposals were received
today for the 12 monitoring stations for the IAWWTP; the work includes redoing the
electronics and flow sensors. Work is actively wrapping up at the Water Treatment
Plant to complete the new plant construction work. The current work on the water and
sewer mains on the 100 block of South Albany Street and 100 and 200 blocks of North
Albany Street should be complete in two weeks; those mains date back to the 1890’s.
Director of Parking Nagy reported that staff started a project for all the parking garages
that will provide better, more readable, and comprehensive signs inside the garages.
Supt. Thorne reported that the flood study consultant was chosen. The United States
Geological Society has completed the flood modeling, and are working on the maps,
which are tricky to put together. Once all that information is available he will share it
with the Board. In addition, he has been receiving complaints of boats bottoming out in
Cascadilla Creek (in the area near Johnson’s Boatyard); New York State does plan to
someday dredge – he hopes it is sooner rather than later. Staff will be meeting with the
Army Corp. of Engineers to go over their plan for the City. The City has completed a
street light inventory; the GIS department did a fantastic job inventorying more than
2,000 street lights. The information includes which lights are city-owned and which
ones are owned by NYSEG, it includes the wattages, distribution, and will be a great
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tool for staff in the future. He will have more information for the Board in the future
about purchasing the lights and use of LED lighting.
Commissioner McCormick asked whether the City had conducted any public outreach
about this project.
Supt. Thorne responded that the complication with this project is that other
municipalities want to join in with the City (Tompkins County and 12 other municipalities
at this point); he is more than happy to work with them. The City’s consultant will come
up with a menu of what the options are including the pros and cons of each; LED
technology is evolving and there are some new options that might be preferred. The
consultant will gather all the information and do a presentation with Tompkins County
Council of Governments and Common Council.
Administration and Communications:
Holiday Meeting Schedule – Due to the Indigenous People’s Day (Columbus Day)
holiday on October 9th, the Board will meet on October 2nd instead.
Highways, Streets & Sidewalks:
Resolution to Approve Community Designed Bike Racks
By Commissioner Greene: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins
WHEREAS, The Downtown Ithaca Alliance, the Tompkins County Tourism Program
and a local, private foundation have proposed to fabricate and to donate to the City
community designed bicycle racks to be installed on downtown sidewalks; and
WHEREAS, staff have reviewed the proposed conceptual designs and worked with the
fabricator to ensure a durable product; and
WHEREAS, the BPW has reviewed the proposals and understands that the racks have
been through review by the Public Art Commission; and
WHEREAS, Public Works staff will continue to be involved in the project details; now,
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby approves the bike rack project and
authorizes the Superintendent of Public Works or his designee to oversee installation of
the racks.
Commissioner McCormick, liaison to Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Council, reported that
at the last meeting there was a considerable amount of discussion about the proposed
designs of the new bike racks. They felt they would be confusing to cyclists, that
someone might run into them, and they might cause damage or injury to either the
person or bike. However, they also felt that moving forward with these concepts of
proposed designs and the fact that there will be more bike racks around the City
outweighs the small number of bikes they will accommodate and their unusual design.
In addition, the proposed locations for the new bike racks are where BPAC had
requested them.
Director of Engineering Logue stated that the bike racks will have labels that state they
are City of Ithaca bike racks and any problems should be reported to the City.
Mayor Myrick stated that he likes the design of the new racks because they are
different, funky and weird. The City needs to keep adding these types of designs to
public areas as a way to encourage the public to be out and about the City. In addition,
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their social vibrancy is in direct opposition to and enhances the appearance of the
standard construction of all the older buildings in the City. He hopes that the
momentum to do these types of projects to brighten and attract people to the City will
continue and grow.
A Vote on the Resolution Resulted as Follows:
Carried Unanimously
Water & Sewer:
Appeal of Water Bill for 142 South Aurora Street - Resolution
By Commissioner Warden: Seconded by Commissioner Greene
WHEREAS, the owner of the property and water account at 142 South Aurora Street
requested the October 2016 and January 2017 billings be adjusted; and
WHEREAS, the water meter readings of October 3, 2016, and January 3, 2017, were
unusually high and the meter reading system registered a leak alarm prompting a leak
letter to be sent by the Chamberlain’s Office on November 17 and December 29, 2016,
to the owner of the account; and
WHEREAS, the owner followed up and contacted the City’s Senior Water Meter
Technician, making arrangements to meet onsite on January 5, 2017, to troubleshoot
the meter leak alarm; and
WHEREAS, on January 5, 2017, a Water Meter Technician performed a walk-through
inspection of the property’s plumbing and found no active leaks at the time and no
defects in the water meter; and
WHEREAS, since February 21, 2017, the water usage at 142 South Aurora Street has
returned to normal as registered by the same water meter; and
WHEREAS, the water meter at this location is a positive displacement meter and bot h
the mechanical and electronic meter readings are in agreement; and
WHEREAS, DPW staff notes the higher than normal usage at 142 South Aurora Street
was recorded for the time frames included in the billings for October 2016 and January
2017; and
WHEREAS, City of Ithaca Code Section §348-22.J states that “all water passing
through a meter will be charged for, whether used or wasted”; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has review information presented to them by
City staff and the property owner; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby denies the appeal of the water bills
for 142 South Aurora Street, noting that the property owner is responsible for the higher
than normal bill; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Board requests that the City Chamberlain not charge interest or
late fees on this bill for a period of 30 business days from the date of this resolution.
The agent for the owner joined the Board for the discussion and review of information
related to the appeal.
Discussion followed on the floor regarding the notification process for when a leak is
suspected, as well as how and when meters are read. The Board also discussed what
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staff does when meeting property owners at the property to check for leaks and
problems, how usage is determined and billed as well as concerns of the agent as to
the methods by which readings are done.
Commissioner Warden, as a city licensed plumber, asked technical questions of both
staff and the agent, as well as explaining possible causes for the leak and different
readings.
Mayor Myrick, after listening to the agent, staff and Board members, noted that the
evidence provided is circumstantial. The fact remains that staff came to meet with the
owner/agent, read the meter, and checked for possible causes of a leak at the property.
The only concrete information is the meter readings, the second meter reading
corroborates the first, and the meter wouldn’t do that unless the water was running.
Commissioner McCormick expressed his appreciation for Commissioner Warden’s and
staff’s expertise in this area in an effort to determine possible causes for the high meter
readings.
The agent for the owner reported that they came to the City regarding receipt of the high
water bill that showed a significant increase in water use than past history could explain,
and today is the 4th meeting they have had with the City about it. He explained that this
property owner owns a lot of property around the City and has for many years. As such,
this is the only water bill they have ever disputed.
Mayor Myrick asked if there were any possible explanation for those meter readings that
would not be caused by water running through them. He further recognized and
thanked the agent for his efforts on behalf of the property owner to state their case and
reason for the appeal.
Commissioner McCormick stated that situations like this place the Board in a difficult
place. He is also a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals and they don’t like to use
the word precedence because it gets more and more difficult as the Board reviews the
information presented in the appeals and the evidence produced by staff to explain why
one appeal is granted and another denied. He is hesitant to not follow staff’s
recommendation because of the precedence that it set.
Commissioner Warden stated that water bills are produced by the City of Ithaca, and
staff visit the property to meet with property owners or agents as a courtesy only; they
aren’t required to do that. He feels that the only way to find a solution to the problem is
for the owner to hire a professional plumber to come in and inspect the property; he
asked if that had been done, and the agent responded yes. He further stated that it is
not the City’s responsibility to find the leak; City staff and the information provided has
determined to his satisfaction that water did flow through meter. The City has done its
due diligence. He encouraged the agent, because it would be well worth it, to
investigate further and work with a plumber in an effort to prevent a recurrence in the
future.
A Vote on the Resolution Resulted as Follows:
Carried Unanimously
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Discussion Items:
Request for a Residential Parking Permit System Exception:
Director of Engineering Logue explained why the property owner was requesting an
exemption to the rules in order to purchase a residential parking permit. The property is
a corner property on Miller Street and Pearl Street; it has a Miller Street address and
that street is not in the residential parking permit system, so a permit cannot be
purchased. He further explained that exemptions for corner properties have been
approved in the past. In this case, it is a temporary request since the property owner is
only going to be living in Ithaca through the end of December 2017, and he would
recommend the Board approve it.
The Board expressed their support for the exemption to be granted.
Resolution to Not Follow the “Goldsmith Rule”
By Mayor Myrick: Seconded by Commissioner McCormick
RESOLVED, That the Board not follow the “Goldsmith Rule” in this instance in order to
vote on the resolution at today’s meeting.
Carried Unanimously
Residential Parking Permit System Temporary Exemption for 222 Miller Street -
Resolution
By Commissioner McCormick: Seconded by Commissioner Greene
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works supports the Transportation Engineer's
recommendation to approve the request for a temporary exemption to the residential
parking permit system for the current property owner at 222 Miller Street through
December 31, 2017.
Carried Unanimously
Continuing Discussion of Installing Four-Way Stop at the Clinton/Plain Street
Intersection:
The discussion on this topic was deferred to a future meeting.
Adjournment:
On a motion the meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
_________________________________ ________________________________
Sarah L. Myers, Svante L. Myrick,
Information Management Specialist Mayor