Cortland Common Council Meeting: Tuesday, May 18th, 2021 (Video & Time Segments Included)

Here is a video stream of Tuesday’s Cortland Common Council meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 15th, 2021. See below for the specific time segments for each agenda item.

Time segments for each agenda item:

Public hearings, public comments, ward reports, mayor’s report, proclamations, and minutes (Start at 0:00:11). 

Item #1 – Presentation by Tom Augostini, Employee Benefit Consultant, Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc., an optional health insurance plan for Medicare eligible retirees, their spouses and eligible dependents specifically designed to provide all current benefits available under the current City’s Classic Blue policy. (Start at 0:20:53). 

Item #2 – Update on infrastructure work in the City. (Start at 0:55:32). 

Item #3 – Consideration of a Resolution to amend the 2021 Adopted General Fund Budget for increases in the New York State 2021/22 Budget for assistance for City. (Start at 1:10:02). 

Whereas, the City has available to it $221,653 in allocated 2020/21 CHIPS funds, and

Whereas, the City has available to it $40,114 in allocated 2020-21 EWR funds, and

Whereas, the City has available to it $61,415 in allocated 2021-21 PaveNY funds, and

Whereas, the City’s allocated 2021/22 CHIPS funding is $348,147, and

Whereas, the City’s allocated 2021/22 EWR funding is $64,952, and

Whereas, the City’s allocated 2021/22 PaveNY funding is $96,954, and

Whereas, the City’s allocated 2021/22 Touring Route funding is $855,430, and

Whereas, the City now has available to it for current use $569,800, in CHIPS funding, and

Whereas, the City now has available to it for current use $105,076, in EWR funding, and

Whereas, the City now has available to it for current use $158,370, in PaveNY funding, and

Whereas, the City now has available to it for current use $855,430, in Touring Route funding.

Therefore, be it Resolved that upon the recommendations of the Public Works Commission that the City’s 2021 General Fund Adopted Budget be amended to reflect the following uses of available funding

  • Expenditure of $194,800 of available CHIPS funding for repair towards repair streets and curbing;
  • Expenditure of $375,000 of available CHIPS funding for Equipment;
  • Expenditure of $105,076 of available EWR funding towards repair of streets and curbing;
  • Expenditure of $158,370 of available PaveNY funding towards repair of streets and curbing;
  • Expenditure of $855,430 of available Touring Route funding towards repair of streets and curbing.

Item #4 – Consideration of a Resolution to approve the street closure application for the VFW for Memorial Day. (Start at 1:11:31). 

Item #5 – Consideration of a Resolution to approve outdoor seating for Loaves and Fishes on May 24, 2021. (Start at 1:12:13). 

Item #6 – Consideration of a Resolution to accept, recognize and appropriate the following donations to the Youth Bureau. (Start at 1:23:56). 

Item #7 – Consideration of a Resolution to amend the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund to the Cortland Downtown Partnership, including its successor and assignees, by modifying the loan agreement for the re-construction of its building at 40-42 Main Street, Cortland New York so that the principal and accrued interest thereon is to be due and payable in whole on June 1, 2026 which may be extended at the option of the City to June 1, 2031. Further, the outstanding balance of the loan, $61,483.41, shall accrue interest from the period commencing on April 5, 2020 and ending on May 31, 2026 at the annual rate of two percent (2.0%). Further, should the City so extend the repayment of principal and accrued interest till June 1, 2031, the outstanding balance shall accrue interest at the rate of sixty percent (60%) of prime interest rate as noted Wall Street Journal on June 1st of each succeeding year commencing on June 1. 2026. (Start at 1:26:23).

Item #8 – Consideration of a Resolution to amend the City’s Adopted 2021 General Fund Budget to reflect modifications to the Sewer Lateral Program and Sales Tax Revenue Projections. (Start at 1:27:56). 

Whereas; the City had anticipated in its 2021 Adopted General Fund Budget $600,000 as reimbursements from a Community Development Block Grant (CDGB) funding the replacement of sewer laterals utilizing City resources, and

Whereas; of the 23 approved applications for lateral replacements and the 3 pending applications only 1 sewer lateral will be replaced utilizing City resources by the expiration of the grant on June 28, 2021, and

Whereas; the City had projected in the 2021 Adopted General Fund Budget $4,700,359 as its distributive share of the County- wide local sales tax distributions of $28,314,241, and

Whereas; based upon actual sales collections through April 2021 the City’s projection of its share of 2021 sales tax will be $5,529,737 of the County-wide local sales tax distribution of $32,986,793, and

Whereas; the current projected sales tax revenue now exceeds that in the 2021 Adopted Budget by $829,378.

Therefore be it Resolved that the transfer from the Capital Fund to the General Fund for services performed under the sewer lateral replacement grant be reduced by $600,000, and

Be it Further Resolved that local sales tax revenues be increased by $600,000 to reflect the increase in projected revenues.

Item #9 – Consideration of a Resolution to transfer within the Capital Fund funding sources to accommodate changes in the sequence of Capital Projects. (Start at 1:29:48). 

Whereas; In March 2020 the Capital Project Work Plan was adopted designating 23 projects to be undertaken and completed between 2020 and 2025, and

Whereas; In 2021 14 of the 23 projects have proceeded to construction/implementation, 2 are nearing completion, 5 are in the design, engineering or permitting phase, and 2 have yet to begin, and

Whereas; Funding sources were appropriated to each project based upon estimates of the projected timing, sequence, and progression of project activities, and

Whereas; some projects have progressed sooner than originally planned and certain projects have encountered delays, and

Whereas; although all projects are grant funded, under the terms the grants monies but first be expended and then reimbursed making it necessary to reapportion estimated funding allocations.

Therefore be it Resolved that the 2020 -2025 Capital Project Plan be amended as follows; $ 50,000 transferred from the 2020 Wickwire site rehabilitation project

  • $150,000 transferred from the 2020 Owego Street Drainage Project
  • $2,256,744 transferred from the 2021 DRI Component 1 Project
  • $250,000 transferred from the 2021 DRI Component 2 Project
  • $200,000 transferred to the 2021 Fire Fighter Bunker Gear Project
  • $1,350,000 transferred to the 2021 Clinton Ave Church to Main Sewer Project
  • $1,156,744 transferred to the 2021 Clinton Ave Church to Main Storm Water Project
  • Net change: $0

Item #10 – Consideration of a Resolution to accept, recognize and appropriate a donation of $100.00 in memory of retired career firefighter Robert Foster to the Fire Department Trust & Agency Account (#TA-2044). (Start at 1:31:10). 

Item #11 – Consideration of a Resolution to Amend section 300-113 to exclude content based sign restriction and to re-letter the remaining portion of the article. (Start at 1:31:40). 

Item #12 – Consideration of a Resolution to appoint Brandon McGovern to the Planning Commission for a 3 year term. (Start at 1:32:32). 

Item #13 – Consideration of a Resolution to re-appoint C. Jane Snell to the Housing Authority for another 5 year term. (Start at 1:33:40). 

Item #14 – Consideration of a Resolution to approve the County Hazard Mitigation Plan. (Start at 1:34:10). 

Item #15 – Consideration of a Resolution to approve the hiring of Superintendent of Public Works. (Start at 1:37:36). 

Item #16 – Discussion regarding older CDBG loans and possible consideration of writing off aged delinquent loans. (Start at 1:40:51). 

Item #17 – Discussion on sidewalk repair and maintenance. (Start at 1:43:00). 

Item #18 – Discussion on Hubbard St. (Start at 1:44:47)

Item #19 – Covid-19 update (Start at 1:45:07). 

Item #20 – Consideration of a Resolution to authorize the Mayor to execute an employment agreement with Cortland Police Department Deputy Chief David Guerrera. (Start at 1:49:20). 

Item #21 – Consideration of a Resolution to authorize the Mayor to execute an employment agreement with Cortland Fire department Deputy Chief Michael Ten Kate. (Start at 1:49:53). 

Item #22 – Request from the Cortland City Police Department: Consideration of a Resolution to declare a surplus of three unmarked Police vehicles. Vehicles will go up for auction. Proceeds from the auction will go towards the Police Department to be directly applied to purchase newer vehicles. (Start at 1:50:17).

Item #23 – Emergency Request from the Cortland Youth Bureau: Consideration of a resolution to authorize the Cortland Youth Bureau to purchase a new lawnmower not exceeding $20,000.