City of Cortland Common Council. (Photo from The Cortland Voice's photo files).
Here is the agenda for Tuesday’s (March 7th, 2023) Cortland Common Council meeting. The meeting will take place at City Hall (25 Cortland Street, Cortland NY 13045) at 6pm. According to the City of Cortland website, the meeting will also be live streamed Via Zoom video.
Here is the Zoom Meeting ID: 923 566 4700
Agenda
Public Hearings
- Public Hearing #1 - Proposed Local Law No. 12 of 2023 to Amend Chapter 300 to Allow for Building or Property Repurpose that Serves a Substantial Public Benefit
- Public Hearing #2 - Proposed Local Law No. 13 of 2023 to Amend Applicable City of Cortland Charter and Administrative Code Provisions Relative to Code Enforcement to Comply with the Latest New York State Local Code Requirements
Finance Reports
- Finance Report #1 - Capital and Grant Updates
- Finance Report #2 - Budget Reports (2022 YTD, 2023 YTD, 2021-22 Budget Comparison)
Call to Order
- Roll Call
- Salute to the Flag
- Moment of silence/reflection
- Privilege of the floor
- Mayor’s report
- Ward Reports
- Approval of Minutes
Supporting Documents
Resolutions
Agenda Item #1 - Adopt Local Law No. 12 of 2023 to Amend Chapter 300 to Allow for Building or Property Repurpose that Serves a Substantial Public Benefit
- WHEREAS, the City of Cortland seeks authority to approve a special use permit for a vacant or unoccupied building, structure or property where the original or permitted use is no longer feasible, regardless of whether the proposed repurpose use for said vacant or unoccupied building, structure or property is expressly prohibited by Chapter 300 of the Cortland City Administrative Code; AND
- WHEREAS, special use permit approval would be preceded by a declaration of the Common Council that the proposed repurpose for the vacant or unoccupied building or property serves a substantial public benefit; AND
- WHEREAS, such action requires local law amendments to the City Administrative Code; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- WHEREAS, pursuant to §20 of the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, a public hearing was held on March 7, 2023 regarding the proposed local law; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, the Common Council does hereby adopt a local law to amend Chapter of the City Administrative Code to allow for building or property repurpose that serves a substantial public benefit; AND BE IT FURTHER
- RESOLVED, that said local law shall read as follows:
CITY OF CORTLAND, NEW YORK
LOCAL LAW NO. 12 OF THE YEAR 2023
“AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 300 TO ALLOW FOR BUILDING OR PROPERTY REPURPOSE THAT SERVES A SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC BENEFIT”
Be it enacted by the Common Council of the City of Cortland as follows:
Section 1. Enactment and Title.
§300-109. Substantial Public Benefit; Building, Structure, Property Repurpose
- Upon application, the Common Council shall have the authority to approve a special use permit for a vacant or unoccupied building, structure or property where the original or permitted use is no longer feasible, regardless of whether the proposed repurpose use for said vacant or unoccupied building, structure or property is expressly prohibited by Chapter 300 of the Cortland City Code.
- Such special use permit approval must be preceded by a declaration of the Common Council that the proposed repurpose for the vacant or unoccupied building, structure, or property serves a substantial public benefit.
- The Common Council reserves the right to define a “substantial public benefit” on a case-by-case basis.
- The approval of a special use permit under this subsection shall be subject to public hearing, the requisite notice requirements for the same, as well as applicable legal or procedural requirements triggered.
Section 2. Separability.
If any part of provision of this Local Law or the application thereof to any person or circumstance be adjudged invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall be confined in its operation to the part or provision or application directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered and shall not affect or impair the validity of the remainder of this Local Law or the application thereof to other persons or circumstances, and the Common Council of the City of Cortland hereby declares that it would have passed this Local Law or the remainder thereof had such invalid application or invalid provision been apparent.
Section 3. Findings.
All ordinances, local laws and parts thereof inconsistent with this Local Law are hereby repealed.
Section 4 Effective Date.
This Local Law shall take effect immediately upon filing in the Office of the New York Secretary of State in accordance with section 27 of the Municipal Home Rule Law.
Agenda Item #2 - Approve Special Event Permit, Sound Device Permit and Street Closing for the Stone Soup Community Gathering
- WHEREAS, organizers of the second annual Stone Soup Community Gathering have submitted a Special Event Application for the purposes of holding this year’s event on April 23, 2023 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; AND
- WHEREAS, organizers have submitted a Sound Device Permit Application for music during the event; AND
- WHEREAS, organizers have submitted a street closure application for a portion of Court St. between Main St. and Church St. from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., AND
- WHEREAS, the Police Department, Code Office and City Clerk’s Office have reviewed applicable aspects of these permit applications and recommended their approval; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the Common Council does hereby approve a Special Event Permit, a Sound Device Permit without fee, and Court St. closure for the Stone Soup Community Gathering l to be held on April 23, 2023 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Agenda Item #3 - Authorize Agreement with Thoma Development Consultants for Community Development Services Not Otherwise Provided in GrantSpecific Contracts
- WHEREAS, Thoma Development Consultants (“Thoma”) has a provided a wide array of community development services to the City of Cortland (the “City”) since 1980, including, but not limited to, housing, economic development, downtown revitalization, grant preparation, and program administration; AND
- WHEREAS, the City of Cortland has previously initiated and executed a “comprehensive contract” with Thoma to provide such community development services for the City; AND
- WHEREAS, the most recent comprehensive contract with Thoma expired, but Thoma has continued to provide the services negotiated under the comprehensive contract at the City’s request; AND
- WHEREAS, the City would like Thoma to continue providing the services necessary to implement or administer the various community development programs and initiatives detailed in the attached comprehensive contract; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council authorizes Mayor Steve to enter into an agreement with Thoma Development Consultants to provide administrative and program delivery services as outlined in the agreement, to be known as the “comprehensive contract,” under the terms and conditions outlined therein.
Agenda Item #4 - Authorize Application and Acceptance of a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Fire Prevention and Safety Grant
- WHEREAS, the mission of the City of Cortland Fire Department is to provide professional fire response, emergency medical service, technical special operations, code enforcement services, as well as, public education/fire prevention services to the community; AND
- WHEREAS, the Fire Department is committed to the safety and health of its firefighters by providing educational opportunities for its staff; AND
- WHEREAS, the Fire Department uses all available financial resources to provide technical tools and equipment that meets the needs of the department in serving the citizens of Cortland; AND
- WHEREAS, Fire Department members are committed to personal safety, duty, honor and public service; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland Fire Department provides regular fire extinguisher training; AND
- WHEREAS, the existing fire extinguisher training prop is 15 years old and no longer works properly; AND
- WHEREAS, the FEMA Assistance to Firefighter’s Grant Program offers a Fire Prevention Grant for projects like this with a 5 percent required local match; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council authorizing the Fire Chief to apply for and, if awarded, accept a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant in the amount $21,682.00 (
Agenda Item #5 - Authorize Application and Acceptance of a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program SAFER Hiring Grant
- WHEREAS, the mission of the City of Cortland Fire Department is to provide professional fire response, emergency medical service, technical special operations, code enforcement services, as well as, public education/fire prevention services to the community; AND
- WHEREAS, the Fire Department is committed to the safety and health of its firefighters by providing educational opportunities for its staff; AND
- WHEREAS, the Fire Department uses all available financial resources to provide technical tools and equipment that meets the needs of the department in serving the citizens of Cortland; AND
- WHEREAS, members of the Fire Department are committed to personal safety, duty, honor and public service; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland Fire Department is a combination fire department consisting of both career and volunteer firefighters and personnel; AND
- WHEREAS, the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program manages the SAFER Grant Program for the hiring of career firefighters and the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters; AND
- WHEREAS, the SAFER Grant Program offers a SAFER Hiring Grant with a period of performance of three years and provides 100 percent federal funding for the cost of salary and fringe benefits; AND
- WHEREAS, nearly half of the career firefighters, including the majority of the career fire officers, will be eligible to retire in the next three years, creating the potential for an experience vacuum; AND
- WHEREAS, the SAFER Grant Program does not stipulate that the firefighter positions must be continued beyond the three-year period of performance of the grant; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council authorizes the Fire Chief to apply for and, if awarded, accept a SAFER Hiring Grant for two career firefighters in the amount $641,005.28, and authorizes Mayor Steve to sign the award if offered.
Agenda Item #6 - Authorize Agreement with Clarkson University for Consulting Services Related to a Research Project
- WHEREAS, Clarkson University is researching a process to extract biological nutrients from dewatering side streams utilizing a novel application of bipolar membrane electrodialysis; AND
- WHEREAS, the goal of such process aligns with the water pollution control mission of Cortland Wastewater; AND
- WHEREAS, the consulting agreement requires no financial contribution from Cortland Wastewater but only in kind services including use of space and assistance with installation and sampling; AND
- WHEREAS, a successful pilot project may put Cortland Wastewater in a favorable position for eventual rollout of a full-scale test or initial test installation; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council does hereby authorize Mayor Steve to sign Consulting Agreement 23-11 with Clarkson University whereby the City agrees to provide in-kind services including use of space and assistance with installation and sampling in support of Clarkson University’s research project relating to a process to extract nitrogen and phosphorous from a dewatering side streams.
Discussion Items
Discussion Item #1 - Director of Administration & Finance Search Update
Milestones leading to interviewing of candidates have been achieved. Additional milestones leading to hiring of a City Administrator are:
