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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2017-08-14BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 4:48 p.m. August 14, 2017 PRESENT: Acting Vice-Chair – Greene Commissioners (3) – McCormick, Morache, Warden OTHERS PRESENT: Superintendent of Public Works – Thorne Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer – Whitney Director of Engineering – Logue Director of Parking – Nagy Common Council Liaison – Fleming Executive Assistant – Servoss EXCUSED: Mayor Myrick Commissioner – Jenkins City Attorney – Lavine Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities – Benjamin ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA: No additions or deletions were made to the agenda. MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS: Mayor Myrick was not present. COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARINGS FROM PERSONS BEFORE THE BOARD: Albert Smith, President of The Hot Truck, which was operating under a Heritage Permit, addressed the Board to request permission to move The Hot Truck with its Heritage Permit from its current location on Stewart Avenue to a vending location on Thurston Avenue next to Louie’s Lunch. RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC Commissioner Greene suggested that Mr. Smith contact Executive Assistant Kathy Servoss regarding his request so it could be forwarded to the mobile vending subcommittee for discussion and recommendation to the Board. Mr. Smith agreed. REPORTS Council Liaison Alderperson Fleming reported that Common Council voted on waterfront zoning and suggested the Board read the article in the Ithaca Times regarding the new zoning regulations. Board Liaisons Commissioner McCormick, BPAC liaison, reported that maintenance of the bike boulevard was discussed, particularly re-painting of the bike symbols. He further reported that BPAC highlighted recent accidents resulting in serious injuries to the cyclists. Superintendent and Staff Dir. of Eng. Logue reported that construction was progressing nicely on Lincoln Street, the Cascadilla Creekway, Stewart Avenue Bridge Painting, a new roof on the Stewart Park Maintenance Building, and the contract for Forest Home Drive was awarded to Paolangioli Construction. In addition, staff would be opening bids tomorrow for the epoxy paint contract. Asst. Supt. Whitney noted that Water & Service service installations had begun on Hector Street, and tying in a new watermain on Albany Street to the Seneca Street watermain, which should be wrapped up in the next six weeks. Dir. of Parking Nagy reported on the following:  on-street revenues for July were $94,000;  reporting on occupancies for on-street parking at the next Parking Advisory Board meeting; Board of Public Works Page 2 August 14, 2017 Regular Meeting  working on a sign package for garages to increase wayfinding and note the short term/hotel parking spaces;  the Commons playground would be resurfaced for the fifth time;  he was working with the contractor for the Herald Square project on an agreement for the use of the Green Street Garage surface lot.  Commissioner Greene noted that a member of Board was not currently on the Parking Advisory Board, and asked Commissioner Morache if he would volunteer; he agreed. Supt. Thorne reported that asphalt would be put down on Hudson Street at Coddington Road next week, electrician interviews would occur soon, and he was working with the county and several surrounding municipalities on purchasing street lights. He noted the City would be spearheading the project. Public Hearing on 2018 Sidewalk Improvement District Work Plan, Budget and Assessment Role Discussion was held regarding holding the public hearing to accept public comments, but the lack of a quorum prevented voting to open the public hearing. Dir. of Eng. Logue explained the budget for the work plan, noting that if the program went according to plan, there would be some extra money left over for additional miscellaneous work, including contingency projects that might be added to the list. He noted that future capital projects were listed in the work plan in case there were much larger projects that could envelop sidewalk work. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the differences between the amounts listed in the balance for each district and the amounts listed in the total available balance. Commissioner Greene noted that the difference amount equaled the amounts listed under “Construction Inspection.” WATER AND SEWER: Support for the Acquisition of a Six Mile Creek Watershed Conservation Easement Supt. Thorne reported that a letter of support was sent to Andy Zepp at the Finger Lakes Land Trust so he could submit the grant application, but without a quorum, the board could not act on the resolution. DISCUSSION ITEMS: 13A. Appeal of Water Bill for 142 South Aurora Street Asst. Supt. Whitney explained the situation and why the bill was being appealed. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the account, accuracy of the meter, and the fact that the meter was not reporting accurate amounts. Joe and Andre Daley, property owners, joined the Board for the discussion of this topic, stating that they reviewed usage amounts from the time the meter was activated until the bill was received, and found that the amounts were that of an active restaurant. Mr. Daley stated that a Meter Technician from the City visited the building and could not find the source of any leak, but since the technician tested the meter, it went back to reading normally. Mr. Daley suggested that the meter was faulty a nd the technician had possibly fixed the meter when he inspected it. Discussion followed on the floor regarding testing new meters before they were installed. It was noted that the hourly consumption reports showed no consumption during some periods and extremely high consumption for other periods, a lot more than eight tenants would use. Commissioner Green suggested Asst. Supt. Whitney do a little more investigation by reviewing the hourly logs and the Board could discuss it more at their next meeting. The Board agreed. Request to Close Stewart Park to Vehicular Traffic during the Cayuga Sound Festival on September 23, 2017 Dan Smalls, applicant, joined the Board for the discussion of this topic, explaining that sales for the event are strong, noting that it was very likely 4,000 tickets would be sold, possibly 5,000. He explained that he was planning a similar layout as the Ithaca Reggae Festival, on a larger scale. Board of Public Works Page 3 August 14, 2017 Regular Meeting Mr. Smalls explained that he wanted to install semi-permanent fencing, allowing emergency access to remain open, the Cayuga Waterfront Trail would be re-routed around the venue, and he planned to hire extra buses to help take people out of the park after the event ended. Parking would be organized at the high school, Johnson Boat yard, and other nearby locations. Discussion followed on the floor regarding use of the park by people not going to the concerts. Mr. Smalls stated that both pavilions were reserved by the festival and would be used by the bands for private spaces. VIP parking would be located at the eastern parking area in the park. Further discussion followed on the floor regarding charging for the use of the park, closing the park to vehicles, and all proceeds would be donated to ten different non-profits in the area. Commissioner McCormick asked about routing the Cayuga Waterfront Trail in a different way; Mr. Smalls agreed to follow the same route that was used for the Ithaca Reggae Festival. He further stated that security would be in the park all night the night before, the parking crew would ensure drivers remained slow, and would ensure no one entered the park early with vehicles. Commissioner Green noted that communication with the public should begin at least a week before the event. The Board agreed to vote to close the park to vehicular traffic for the entire day. Request to Approve a City of Ithaca Parks Department Logo from Parks Commission Jeanne Grace, City Forester, and Ellen Leventry, Parks Commission, joined the Board for the discussion of this topic. Ms. Leventry explained the history of city parks and the reason for the request for a City Parks logo. She stated that there was a lot of scenic signage going up in different parks, and a logo would help identify free city-owned parks. Also, the Friends of Stewart Park were working on creating signage quickly and it would be nice to in clude the logo for branding purposes. She further stated that the logo was created by a group of college students; if the logo was approved, the students and Park Commission would hold a media release, creating a town- gown event. City Forester Grace added that there were a number of parks that we re just grassy lots and people did not know they could play in them or not, and the logo would help in those situations. There were also areas that were treated like parks but were not designated parkland. CC Liaison Fleming asked about using the logo in the natural areas as well. Ms. Leventry responded that the natural areas were not designated parkland, but a variation of the l ogo could be used. Commissioner Morache expressed support for the logo with a different font and using the logo within the natural areas. Dir. of Eng. Logue noted that even if an area was not designated parkland, if it was called a park, people believed it was a park. City Forester Grace suggested creating a logo in the future for the natural areas using the same symbol. Supt. Thorne asked about making and installing the signs. City Forester Grace responded that plans had not yet been developed for installing signs, but this request was mainly for the logo to be placed on signs created by Friends of Stewart Park or the Ithaca Children’s Garden. The resolution would be only on the approval of the logo, not any specific signs or the placement of signs. Commissioner Warden arrived at 6:07 p.m. Proposal to Install a Nature Play Area near the Wood Street Park Playground Jeanne Grace, City Forester, and Rusty Keeler, Just Play, joined the Board for the discussion of this topic. Mr. Keeler explained that they had worked with the Ithaca Children’s Garden to design a natural area for children to play, looking at Ithaca as a whole and determining how to get children to play more. He stated that a multi-pronged approach was developed to use existing materials that the City already had to create a safe natural areas for children to play in, working with City Forester Grace to designate an area within Wood Street Park. He noted that Board of Public Works Page 4 August 14, 2017 Regular Meeting community members would help keep an eye on the area, and volunteers would help maintain it. City Forester Grace explained that her crew would have to clean up the trees in the park, lay down cardboard to suppress the grass, and deliver loads of mulch for the volunteers to spread. Then staff could deliver stumps and other debris whenever a tree was taken down. She suggested having a sign stating that it was a play area, not a DPW project in progress. The Board generally approved the request; a resolution would be brought to the next meeting. CC Liaison Fleming left the meeting at 6:18 p.m. Public Hearing on 2018 Sidewalk Improvement District Work Plan, Budget and Assessment Role Resolution to Open Public Hearing By Commissioner McCormick: Seconded by Commissioner Morache RESOLVED, That the public hearing regarding 2018 Sidewalk Improvement District Work Plan, Budget and Assessment Role be declared open. Carried Unanimously No members of the public spoke. Resolution to Close Public Hearing By Commissioner Morache: Seconded by Commissioner Warden RESOLVED, That the public hearing regarding 2018 Sidewalk Improvement District Work Plan, Budget and Assessment Role be declared closed. Carried Unanimously ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATIONS: Approval of Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes - Resolution By Commissioner McCormick: Seconded by Commissioner Morache RESOLVED, That the minutes of the February 12, March 13, and July 10, 2017, Board of Public Works meetings be approved as written. Carried Unanimously BUILDINGS, PROPERTIES, REFUSE AND TRANSIT: A Resolution to Declare Lead Agency Status for the Environmental Review of a new Lease for the Alex Haley Municipal Pool and the Wading Pool Expansion project. By Commissioner Morache: Seconded by Commissioner Warden WHEREAS, the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) and the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance (CEQR), Section 176 of the City Code, require that a lead agency be established for conducting environmental review of projects in accordance with local and state environmental law, and WHEREAS, State Law specifies that for actions governed by local environmental review, the lead agency shall be that local agency which has primary responsibility for approving and funding or carrying out the action, and WHEREAS, SEQR and CEQR both provide for an uncoordinated review for “Unlisted” projects that involve more than one agency, and WHEREAS, the proposed new Lease for the Alex Haley Municipal Pool and the wading pool expansion (Capital Project #834) are “Unlisted” actions under SEQR and “Unlisted” actions under CEQR; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Board of Public Works does hereby declare itself lead agency for the environmental review of the new lease for the Alex Haley Municipal Pool and the proposed expansion of the wading pool at the Alex Haley Municipal Pool project. Carried Unanimously Environmental Review for a Lease Agreement for the Alex Haley Municipal Pool and the Expansion of the Wading Pool By Commissioner McCormick: Seconded by Commissioner Warden Board of Public Works Page 5 August 14, 2017 Regular Meeting WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has declared itself to be the lead agency for the environmental review of a lease agreement for the Alex Haley Municipal Pool and for a project (“the Project”) entitled “Alex Haley Municipal Wading Pool Expansion” (CP 834) in accordance with Section 176 of the Ithaca City Code (CEQR) and in accordance with Article 8 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law (SEQR), and WHEREAS, the actions include a new lease for the whole Alex Haley Municipal Pool area and a project to expand an existing wading pool to approximately 800 square feet, to include a spray feature, and all associated appurtenances, and WHERAS, the actions are Unlisted actions according to CEQR and SEQR, and WHERAS, Short Environmental Assessment forms have been prepared by staff for CEQR and for SEQR, and WHERAS, on August 14, 2017, the Board of Public Works declared itself lead agency for an uncoordinated environmental review for CEQR/SEQR, and WHEREAS, the Conservation Advisory Council has received a copy of the CEQR/SEQ R short forms and a set of plans for the project, and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works, acting as lead agency, has, on August 14, 2017, reviewed and accepted as complete Short Environmental Assessment Forms prepared by staff, and schematic Project plans prepared on behalf of the City by Trowbridge Wolf Michaels Landscape Architects, and other project materials, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works determines that the new lease for the Alex Haley Municipal Pool and the project for the Alex Haley Municipal Wading Pool Expansion, located in the City of Ithaca, will result in no significant negative environmental impact and that a Negative Declaration for purposes of Article 8 of the NYS Environmental Conservation Law be filed in accordance with the provisions of Part 617 of the State Environmental Quality Review Act and that a Negative Declaration for purposes of Section 176 of the City Code be filed in accordance with the City Environmental Quality Review Ordinance, and be it further RESOLVED, That the Mayor is hereby authorized to sign the proposed lease agreement upon consultation with the City Attorney. Carried Unanimously Support for the Acquisition of a Six Mile Creek Watershed Conservation Easement – Resolution By Commissioner Morache: Seconded by Commissioner Warden WHEREAS, The City has received a request from Andrew Zepp, Director of the Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT), for a commitment of $15,000.00 from the City of Ithaca’s Six Mile Creek Watershed Protection Fund to support the acquisition of a perpetual conservation easement on the Lounsbery Tract in the Town of Caroline, Tompkins County, and WHEREAS, the application meets the four criteria established in the Common Council Resolution “City Watershed Conservation Easements Processes” passed on March 4, 2015, and WHEREAS, the Superintendent of Public Works and Assistant Superintendent of Public Works—Water and Sewer have reviewed the application and believe that the property is of high value for protection of the watershed, and RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works supports Common Council in authorizing the Mayor, on advice on the City attorney, to enter into a funding agreement with the FLLT by which the City provides $15,000 to the FLLT and the FLLT contractually commits to the preservation in perpetuity of the Lounsbery Tract, thus protecting the water quality of the watershed flowing into the City’s water filtration plant, and be it further RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works recommends that Common Council authorize funding in support of the same to be drawn from the Water Fund, Water Shed Accounts account number F8321-5700, in an amount not to exceed $15,000. Board of Public Works Page 6 August 14, 2017 Regular Meeting Commissioner McCormick asked about the request to restrict certain types of chemicals and pesticides on land with conservation easements. Commissioner Greene replied that the Finger Lakes Land Trust does not normally restrict the types of fertilizer used. Commissioner Morache noted that the existing grove of trees and brush could be a natural buffer. A Vote on the Resolution Resulted as Follows: Carried Unanimously ADJOURNMENT: On a motion, the meeting adjourned at 6:27 p.m. Kathrin D. Servoss Jon Greene Executive Assistant Acting Vice-Chair