OFFICIAL NOTICE OF MEETING A Regular meeting of the Common Council will be held on Wednesday, October 5, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall, 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York. Your attendance is requested. 1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: AGENDA 2. ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM THE AGENDA: 3. PROCLAMATIONS/AWARDS: 4. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS: 4.1 A Public Hearing Regarding the Proposed Assessment Roll, Budget, and Schedule of Work for Each Sidewalk Improvement District for Fiscal Year 2017 (collectively, FY 2017 SID Documents ) 5. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS BEFORE COUNCIL: 5. Special Presentation on Participatory Budgeting Multicultural Resource Center 6. PETITIONS AND HEARINGS OF PERSONS BEFORE COUNCIL: 7. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR COMMON COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR: 8. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS: City Administration Committee: 8.1 City Controller s Office - Request to Piggyback Bid - Resolution 9. PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: 9.1 Resolution to Select Artwork for a Mural Installation on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail 10. CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE: 10.1 Fire Department - Acceptance of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant - Resolution 10.2 Common Council A Local Law to Override the Tax Levy Limit Established in General Municipal Law 10.3 City Controller s Report 11. REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES: 12. NEW BUSINESS: 13. INDIVIDUAL MEMBER FILED RESOLUTIONS:
Common Council Meeting Agenda October 5, 2016 Page 2 14. MAYOR S APPOINTMENTS: 14.1 Appointments to Various City Boards and Committees (information will be distributed under separate cover) 15. REPORTS OF COMMON COUNCIL LIAISONS: 16. REPORT OF CITY CLERK: 17. REPORT OF CITY ATTORNEY: 18. MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS: 18.1 Approval of the August 3, 2016 Common Council Meeting Minutes Resolution 18.2 Approval of the August 24, 2016 Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes Resolution 18.3 Approval of the September 7, 2016 Common Council Meeting Minutes Resolution 18.4 Approval of the September 28, 2016 Common Council Special Meeting Minutes Resolution 19. ADJOURNMENT: If you have a disability that will require special arrangements to be made in order for you to fully participate in the meeting, please contact the City Clerk at 274-6570 at least 48 hours before the meeting. Date: September 29, 2016 Julie Conley Holcomb, CMC City Clerk
8. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS: City Administration Committee: 8.1 City Controller s Office - Request to Piggyback Bid - Resolution WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Fire Department went out to bid for Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus units on April 11, 2016; and WHEREAS, New York State (NYS) allows an exception to General Municipal Law (GML) Sec. 103 Whereby a political subdivision of NYS is allowed to Piggyback on a contract/bid as long as the municipality letting the bid makes that contract available to the other entity; and WHEREAS, the Candor Fire District in Candor, NY has requested that they be allowed to Piggyback on our bid award as provided by GML Sec. 103(16); now therefore, be it RESOLVED, That Common Council approves the request from the Candor Fire District to Piggyback on our bid award from our bid dated April 11, 2016.
9. PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: 9.1 Resolution to Select Artwork for a Mural Installation on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Public Art Commission (PAC) has been established to, among other duties, review and advise the Common Council on proposals for the exhibition and display of public art in the City s public spaces; and WHEREAS, in 2010, the 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 locations for future murals and street art by resolution on May 19, 2010 and added the Cayuga Waterfront Trail to this list on September 12, 2016; and WHEREAS, McKenzie Jones Rounds, on behalf of the Ithaca Festival, has submitted a proposal for Art in Glow, a glow in the dark mural featuring a dandelion and the Festival slogan, to be installed on the surface of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail as part of the PAC s Mural and Street Art Program; and WHEREAS, after discussing the project with the Ithaca Festival staff, the PAC agreed that the section of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail adjacent to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) property would be an appropriate location for the proposed glow in the dark mural; and WHEREAS, the PAC held a public comment period on the mural design and location at its meeting on August 24, 2016 to gather input on the proposed installation, and the public responses to the proposal have been mostly positive; and WHEREAS, the mural will be privately funded, and the installation will be budget-neutral to the City; and WHEREAS, while a quorum was not present for this discussion at the August 24th meeting, all PAC members in attendance recommended that the Common Council approve the Ithaca Festival s 2016 Art in Glow project for installation on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council selects the Ithaca Festival s 2016 Art in Glow project featuring a dandelion and the Festival slogan to be installed on the portion of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail adjacent to the NYS DOT property and to be added to the City of Ithaca s public art collection; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the selected artist may proceed with the installation of her mural upon the execution of an agreement with the City as reviewed by the City Attorney.
Ithaca Festival s Art in Glow Ithaca Festival s inaugural Art in Glow event will be a celebration juxtaposing the flair of urban street art with the necessity for lighted pedestrian passageways. According to the Downtown Ithaca Alliance s 2020 strategic plan, pedestrian scale public art, pedestrian level lighting, and pedestrian safety are achievable goals toward improving the downtown environment for locals and visitors. Inspired by the Van Gogh Roosegaarde bike path in the Netherlands (pictured below), currently among the hottest and most sought after global tourist attractions, Art in Glow will aim to provide long-term beautification and safety in Ithaca, as well as be an interesting and unique public art installation destination for tourists. This project is funded in part by a grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Board. The event will entail artists and community members using glow-in-the-dark spray paint to enhance a designated area of Ithaca's Waterfront Trail (see attached image for location). There is local and global precedent for an art installation event such as this, and many city officials have made requests for increased public art as well as thoughtful solutions for pedestrian lighting and safety. Art in Glow will creatively fulfill those needs and is scheduled to take place on October 22, 2016.
2016 Art in Glow Proposed Design Proposed Location
10. CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE: 10.1 Fire Department - Acceptance of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant - Resolution WHEREAS, the Fire Chief of Ithaca Fire Department submitted an application for funding assistance under the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program to fund (4) firefighter positions for two years, which have been unfunded in the City Budget since 2013; and WHEREAS, the Fire Chief was notified on September 9 th, 2016 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that the City of Ithaca has been awarded a grant of $640,015 to fund four, currently unfunded, firefighter positions for two years; and WHEREAS, under the terms and conditions of the SAFER grant: the City cannot eliminate (unfund or layoff) any currently funded Firefighter or Fire Officer s positions; if a vacancy due to retirement or resignation occurs, the grant requires the position to be filled as soon as possible and after two years, Council will have to decide whether to continue funding the four positions; and WHEREAS, the US FEMA SAFER program requires a letter of commitment from the City s governing body agreeing to the terms and conditions of the SAFER grant program; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Common Council of the City of Ithaca agrees to accept SAFER Grant Funding for (4) four additional firefighter positions in the 2017 and 2018 Budget under the terms and conditions of the SAFER grant program (Application EMW-2015- FH-00398); and, be it further RESOLVED, That the Mayor is authorized to submit a letter of commitment to US FEMA agreeing to the terms and conditions of the SAFER grant award; and, be it further RESOLVED, That after the completion of the SAFER Grant Performance Period, the Common Council of the City of Ithaca will decide whether to continue funding the positions or seek additional outside funding for Fiscal Year 2019.
Memo To: From: Common Council Tom Parsons, Fire Chief Date: September 13, 2016 Re: SAFER Grant Award On Friday, September 9 th, 2016; I received official notification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that the City of Ithaca has been awarded a $641,016 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to fund four, currently unfunded, firefighter positions. The grant covers the costs of salaries and benefits for two years. Under the terms and conditions of the grant, the City cannot eliminate (unfund or layoff) any currently funded firefighter or fire officers positions. If there is a vacancy do to a retirement or resignation, the grant requires the positions to be filled as soon as possible. At the end of two years, Common Council will need to decide whether to continue the funding of the four positions. I am requesting consideration and approval for the accompanying resolution. The Ithaca Fire Department is need of more staffing to provide adequate service to the City and Town of Ithaca. Since 2010, the staffing of the fire department has been reduced from 71 firefighters and officers; to 61 firefighters and officers. The department s administration and support staff has been reduced from 4 employees to 1 employee. Funding of four firefighter positions through the SAFER Grant can help address our staffing needs while at the same time limit the impact on the City Budget for at least the next two years. It is my hope that once the City is in a better financial condition, the additional four career firefighter positions will continue to be funded by the City. Thank you for consideration of my request.
10.2 Common Council A Local Law to Override The Tax Levy Limit Established in General Municipal Law Local Law No. - 2016 BE IT ENACTED by Common Council of the City of Ithaca as follows: Section 1. Legislative Intent It is the intent of this local law to allow the City of Ithaca to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2017, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the tax levy limit as defined by General Municipal law 3-c. Section 2. Authority This local law is adopted pursuant to subdivision 5 of General Municipal Law 3-c, which expressly authorizes a local government s governing body to override the property tax cap for the coming fiscal year by the adoption of a local law approved by a vote of sixty percent (60%) of said governing body. Section 3. Tax Levy Limit Override The Common Council of the City of Ithaca, County of Tompkins, New York, is hereby authorized to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2017, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the amount otherwise prescribed in General Municipal Law 3-c. Section 4. Severability If a court determines that any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or application thereof to any person, firm or corporation, or circumstance is invalid or unconstitutional, the court s order or judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder of this local law, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or in its application to the person, individual, firm or corporation or circumstance, directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment or order shall be rendered. Section 5. Effective Date This local law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State.