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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CA-2017-12-20CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. December 20, 2017 PRESENT: Alderperson Mohlenhoff – Chair Alderpersons (3): Kerslick, McGonigal, Nguyen Mayor (1): Myrick EXCUSED: Alderpersons (1): Fleming OTHERS PRESENT: City Clerk – Holcomb City Attorney – Lavine Manager of Organizational Development – Moskowitz IURA Director – Bohn Chief of Staff – Cogan HR Director – Michell-Nunn Controller - Thayer Deputy Controller – Andrew 1. Call to Order 1.1 Agenda Review. None. 1.2 Review/Approval of Minutes: Alderperson Kerslick made a motion to approve the minutes from the November 15, 2017 meeting of the City Administration Committee. Seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. Motion carried unanimously. 1.3 Statements from the Public Faye Gougakis, of Ithaca, said Happy Holidays to the Committee. She went on to express her concerns about the Commons Police Officer being changed and about the Committee not addressing the need of Council members having a local phone number so that their constituents could contact them. 1.4 Statements from Employees. None. 1.5 Council Response Chairperson Mohlenhoff stated that Alderperson Fleming is putting together language to address Council members having local phone numbers. This item would be on the agenda in January 2018. 2. Consent Agenda Items. None. 3. City Administration, Human Resources, and Policy City Administration Committee Meeting December 20, 2017 Page 2 3.1 Amendment to Personnel Roster – Public Information and Technology Moved by Alderperson Kerslick. Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal. WHEREAS, the Information Technology positions in the Department of Public Information and Technology were created in 2001 when the IT Department was initially created, and WHEREAS, positions have been modified over the years as technology and the City’s needs have changed, and WHEREAS, the City Clerk is looking to increase the level of flexibility and adaptability in departmental job descriptions in order to respond to new trends in technology and to create a level of depth and redundancy in staff skill levels and responsibilities, and WHEREAS, the Information Systems Manager title eliminates narrow, specialized job titles and creates a broader job classification that encompasses a variety of advanced technical duties and responsibilities and allows for flexibility as needed in the future, and WHEREAS, the opportunity to move into the Information Systems Manager title was offered to both senior technical staff members of the Public Information and Technology Department, and one employee has elected to do so; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Personnel Roster of the Department of Public Information and Technology be amended as follows: Add: One (1) Information Systems Manager Delete: One (1) Manager of Electronic Communications and, be it further RESOLVED, That the position of Information Systems Manager shall be assigned to the Management Compensation Plan at salary grade 7, and be it further RESOLVED, That for the sole purpose of determining days worked reportable to the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System, the standard workday for this position shall be established at eight (8) hours per day (forty (40) hours per week), and be it further RESOLVED, That the funding for this roster change shall be obtained from within the allocated departmental budget. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.2 Permit Pursuant to Section 346-31 of the City Code Authorizing OurBus Inc. to Operate a Charter Bus within the City of Ithaca Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. City Administration Committee Meeting December 20, 2017 Page 3 WHEREAS, Section 346-31 of the City Code provides that “Unless otherwise provided to the contrary, no bus or common carrier, whether for hire or not, shall be operated upon, stop on or stand on any City street in the corporate limits of the City of Ithaca, nor shall such bus or common carrier pick up or discharge passengers on any such City street or curb, or any other public property, or at or within 200 feet of any City bus stop in said corporate limits of the City of Ithaca, unless a permit is obtained therefor from the Common Council of the City of Ithaca, or its designee, the issuance of which permit shall be at the sole discretion of the Common Council of the City of Ithaca,” and WHEREAS, Axel Hellman, on behalf of OurBus Inc. submitted an application seeking a permit to operate a daily charter bus providing transportation between Ithaca and New York Port Authority, and WHEREAS, City staff have reviewed the application and support granting the permit; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Common Council hereby authorizes issuance of a permit to OurBus Inc. with the following conditions: 1. The exact route, locations where passengers may be dropped off and picked up, and times of operation shall be subject to approval by the Superintendent of Public Works or his designee; 2. Said charter bus shall be operated on a pre-arranged basis only, with tickets having been purchased in advance by passengers; 3. The operator(s) of the bus shall at all times ensure that the bus is not parked in a manner that interferes with the ability of emergency vehicles to move or pass or that obstructs the sight distance for pedestrians or motorists; 4. Permittee shall at all times maintain valid liability insurance coverage, as well as present the City Attorney’s Office with proof of compliance with the New York Workers’ Compensation Law; and be it further RESOLVED, That the Superintendent of Public Works shall have the right to modify the conditions above upon reasonable notice to the Permittee, and to suspend or revoke this permit due to violation of the terms thereof, or due to any other action or failure to act, on the part of the permittee or his agents, which poses a danger to the health or safety of any members of the public, provided, however, that such suspension or revocation shall be subject to review by Common Council upon written appeal of the permittee, to the Mayor (which appeal, while pending, shall not stay said suspension or revocation). A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4. Finance, Budget and Appropriations 4.1 Community Housing Development Fund, Rounds #11 and #15 — Authorize Disbursement of Funds Pursuant to an Executed MOU Moved by Alderperson Nguyen. Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. City Administration Committee Meeting December 20, 2017 Page 4 WHEREAS, the Community Housing Development Fund (CHDF) was established in 2009, and renewed in 2015, by Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among and between the City of Ithaca, Tompkins County and Cornell University to raise and award funds to increase the supply of permanently affordable housing in the County, and WHEREAS, on an annual basis Cornell University contributes $200,000 to the CHDF and the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County each contribute $100,000, and WHEREAS, the Common Council determined that City contributions to the CHDF should be used solely to assist those projects located within the City of Ithaca, and WHEREAS, the Program Oversight Committee, which includes three City appointees, reviews and recommends projects for awards, including the amount and funding source, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Common Council retains authority to approve, modify or reject the POC’s recommendation for use of City funds, and WHEREAS, action to authorize disbursement of City funds requires prior completion of environmental review for housing projects, and WHEREAS, recommended projects from Rounds #11 and #15 have completed environmental review by the City Planning and Development Board and are ready for City action, and WHEREAS, the POC recommends the following affordable housing projects for City funding: and WHEREAS, pursuant to the MOU, Tompkins County administers the CHDF, including collection of contributions to the CHDF and distribution of funds to project sponsors, and Community Housing Development Fund Round #11 Recommended Funding Awards Applicant Project # Units Location Funding ($1,000s) Cornell County City Total Tompkins Community Action Amici House 23 rental (C) Ithaca 661-701 Spencer Rd. 0 125 100 225 Round #15 Recommended Funding Awards Lakeview Health Services West End Heights 60 rental (C) Ithaca W. Court St. @ N. Meadow St. 0 100 150 250 Totals 0 225 250 475 City Administration Committee Meeting December 20, 2017 Page 5 WHEREAS, annual City contributions to the CHDF are placed in Restricted Contingency; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Common Council for the City of Ithaca hereby authorizes an expenditure of up to $250,000 to Tompkins County for the following affordable housing projects to implement recommended funding awards for rounds #11 and #15 of the Community Housing Development Fund: Project Name #1: Amici House Amount: $100,000 Applicant: Tompkins Community Action Project Summary: Construct a 23-unit affordable rental housing project 661-701 Spencer Road, Ithaca, NY. Project Name #2: West End Heights Amount: $150,000 Applicant: Lakeview Health Services Project Summary: Construct a 60-unit affordable rental housing project at the corner of W. Court Street and N. Meadow Street, Ithaca, NY. and, be it further RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby transfers an amount not to exceed $100,000 from the 2017 contingency account A1990 and $100,000 from the 2018 contingency account A1990 to the following accounts: A8020-5700 Planning Encumbrances $100,000 A8020-5435 Planning Contracts $100,000 and ,be it further RESOLVED, That the $200,000 transferred, along with the current encumbrance of $50,000 in A8020- 5700, will fund the $250,000 City portion of the City/County/Cornell Housing Trust for the above listed projects, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Mayor, subject to advice of the City Attorney, is hereby authorized to execute a fiscal agency agreement with Tompkins County to implement this resolution. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4.2 Authorization for the City Attorney to Retain Counsel and Commence Litigation Against Opioid Manufacturers and Distributors Moved by Alderperson Kerslick. Seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. City Administration Committee Meeting December 20, 2017 Page 6 WHEREAS, opioid manufacturers had prior knowledge of the risks of opioids abuse, have misled doctors and patients about the addictive nature of opioids, have misrepresented the dangers of opioids, and have marketed opioids in a manner that promoted addiction, and WHEREAS, opioid manufacturers, distributors, and promoters have been responsible for an opioid epidemic that has harmed the citizens of the City of Ithaca and financially damaged the City and its taxpayers, and WHEREAS, Tompkins County, with numerous other counties and municipalities, is pursuing legal action against opioid manufacturers and others that have promoted the abuse of opioids, and WHEREAS, it is appropriate that the City should join efforts to recover damages from those parties that have contributed and continue to contribute to City costs in the form of increased demands on the City’s Police and Fire Departments and other expenditures specific to responding to the unique impacts of the opioid epidemic; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the City Attorney is hereby authorized to commence civil litigation against opioid manufacturers and others who have harmed the City by promoting the abuse of opioids and to retain counsel—at no out-of-pocket cost to the City—to represent the City in such litigation. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4.3 Bond Resolution Moved by Alderperson Nguyen. Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. The Committee approved the resolution authorizing the issuance of Bonds in the amount of $9,332,575; to pay the cost of certain capital improvements in and for the City of Ithaca. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 5. Feed Back on 2018 Budget Process – Discussion The Committee discussed what went well with the budget process and made some suggestions on ways to improve it. They thanked Chairperson Mohlenhoff and Chief of Staff Cogan for helping the process run smoothly. Chief of Staff Cogan and Chairperson Mohlenhoff will e-mail all of Common Council; sharing with them comments made tonight and asking for additional feedback on the 2018 budget process. 6. Meeting Wrap-up 6.1 Announcements City Administration Committee Meeting December 20, 2017 Page 7 City of Ithaca Advisory Commissions: There was an initial meeting today. At this meeting, they discussed the applications received, the need for more diversity in the application pool and a strategic plan for outreach/recruitment. 6.2 Next Meeting Date: January 17, 2018. 6.3 Review, Agenda Items for Next Meeting 6.4 Adjourn: With no further business and on a motion by Alderperson Kerslick, the meeting was adjourned at 7:18 p.m.