City of Cortland Common Council. (Photo Source: Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
Here is the agenda for Tuesday’s (April 18th, 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
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 - Authorize Request for Proposals and Agreement for Financial Auditing Services
- WHEREAS, the City of Cortland is required to conduct an annual financial audit; AND
- WHEREAS, the Mayor and Common Council wish to contractually engage independent financial auditing services through a Request for Proposals (RFP); NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the Common Council does hereby authorize the Mayor to issue a Request for Proposals for financial auditing services and to enter into an agreement for such services.
Agenda Item #2 - Approve Special Event and Related Permits for The Great Cortland Pumpkinfest
- WHEREAS, The Great Cortland Pumpkinfest organizers have submitted a Special Event Application for the purposes of holding a festival in Courthouse Park on October 7-8, 2023; AND
- WHEREAS, organizers have submitted a Sound Device Permit Application for the event; AND
- WHEREAS, organizers have submitted an Operating Permit Application for an occupant load of more than 100 persons; AND
- WHEREAS, organizers have submitted a Street Banner Application; AND
- WHEREAS, organizers have submitted a Street Closure Application requesting the closure of Greenbush Street between Port Watson Street and Central Avenue for the period of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. October 7, 2023 and 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. October 8, 2023; AND
- WHEREAS, the Police Department, Fire Department, Department of Public Works, Youth Bureau 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, an Operating Permit, and a Street Closure request for The Great Cortland Pumpkinfest to be held in Courthouse Park on October 7 and October 8, 2023.
Agenda Item #3 - Affirm the Issuance of a Mobile Ice Cream Vendor License to Schwan’s
- WHEREAS, § 213 of the City Administrative Code sets forth rules and regulations for ice cream trucks and authorizes the City Clerk to issue a license to operate; AND
- WHEREAS, Cygnus Home Service, LLC. dba Schwan’s Home Services has submitted an application for a mobile ice cream vendor license; AND
- WHEREAS, said applicant has met all of the requirements set forth in the Administrative Code and has paid the application fee; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council acknowledges and affirms the issuance of a mobile ice cream vendor license to Cygnus Home Service, LLC. dba Schwan’s Home Services.
Agenda Item #4 - Authorize Supplemental Agreement No. 3 with Fisher Associates for Downtown Revitalization Project Design Services
- WHEREAS, the City of Cortland desires to continue and complete the ongoing Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) project; AND
- WHEREAS, there is a need for additional engineering services to be provided through Supplemental Agreement No. 3 to the City’s Engineering Services Agreement with Fisher Associates; AND
- WHEREAS, the additional services and expenses include redesign work of the water and storm systems and service connections into buildings, updating the bidding documents and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), alterations to the Maintenance and Protection of Traffic (MPT) plan, additional water line work on West Court Street and street level renderings for $135,000.00 as outlined in the proposed amendment; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the Common Council does hereby authorize Mayor Steve to sign Supplemental Agreement No. 3 to the Engineering Services Agreement with Fisher Associates in the amount of $39,800.00 for the Downtown Revitalization Project.
Agenda Item #5 - Authorize Supplemental Agreement No. 4 with Fisher Associates for Downtown Revitalization Project Design Services
- WHEREAS, the City of Cortland desires to continue and complete the ongoing Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) project; AND
- WHEREAS, there is a need for additional engineering services to be provided through Supplemental Agreement No. 4 to the City’s Engineering Services Agreement with Fisher Associates; AND
- WHEREAS, the additional services and expenses include the redesign of the water system due to a conflict with an existing Verizon duct bank and a need for 52 completed drawings to be revised including established quantities for $39,800.00 as outlined in the proposed amendment; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the Common Council does hereby authorize Mayor Steve to sign Supplemental Agreement No. 4 to the Engineering Services Agreement with Fisher Associates in the amount of $39,800.00 for the Downtown Revitalization Project.
Agenda Item #6 - Authorize Supplemental Agreement No. 5 with Fisher Associates for Downtown Revitalization Project Design Services
- WHEREAS, the City of Cortland desires to continue and complete the ongoing DRI Project; AND
- WHEREAS, there is a need for additional engineering services to be provided through Contract Amendment No. 5 to the City’s Engineering Services Agreement with Fisher Associates; AND
- WHEREAS, the additional services and expenses include design improvements for the alleyways between 89 and 91 Main Street as well as between 16 and 22 Main street, modifications due to conflicts with 15 specific National Grid facilities and a design to support temporary street lighting during construction for $38,500.00 as outlined in the proposed amendment; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the Common Council does hereby authorize Mayor Steve to sign Supplemental Agreement No. 5 to the Engineering Services Agreement with Fisher Associates in the amount of $38,500.00 for the Downtown Revitalization Project.
Agenda Item #7 - Authorize Sale of Abandoned Impound Vehicles and Appropriate Impound Scrap Proceeds to the Police Department
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department operates and maintains an Impound Lot where vehicles are towed which been found to be in violation of either the Vehicle and Traffic Law or Penal Law of the State of New York; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department has authority to charge a daily impound fee for vehicles maintained at the Impound Lot; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department routinely has vehicles which have been declared abandoned under New York State Law as the owners do not wish to pay the Impound Fees; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department has limited space to store these abandoned vehicles; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department must dispose of these vehicles periodically, either through auction or sale as scrap; AND
- WHEREAS, the funds generated from the disposal of these abandoned vehicles are returned to the Police Department Budget (A.3120-520600 - Operating Equipment) which helps fund the purchase of new police vehicles and equipment; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department currently has eleven (11) abandoned vehicles in storage at the Impound Lot which must be disposed of to make space available for future needs; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the Common Council does hereby authorize the Cortland City Police to sell eleven (11) abandoned vehicles at the Impound Lot for scrap and place all proceeds from such sale into budget line A.3120- 520600 - Operating Equipment to be be utilized towards the purchase of new police vehicles and equipment.
Agenda Item #8 - Authorize the Creation of Additional Uniform Sergeants in the Police Department
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police has an authorized force of 47 full-time police officers and one part-time police officer assigned the School Resource Officer(SRO) position; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department currently has two vacant full-time police officer positions, including one patrol officer and one Community Oriented Police Officer, and a pending retirement in June 2023; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department has suffered unprecedented staffing shortages over the past two years due to transfers, retirements and a lack of qualified candidates; AND
- WHEREAS, staffing within the Patrol Division has a new dynamic, with 18 of the 25 Patrol Officers having 3 years or less experience; AND
- WHEREAS, the current staffing of four in the Uniform Sergeant Office, three of which have a 4/10 schedule, is not conducive to proper supervision of the Patrol Division; AND
- WHEREAS, the routine practice of utilizing a Patrol Officer as Officer in Charge, at times no longer allows for an officer with several years of experience to supervise the shift when a Uniform Sergeant is not scheduled; AND
- WHEREAS, the Chief of Police is in need of an additional Uniform Sergeant to bring the total number in the Uniform Sergeant Office to five, to ensure better supervisory coverage in the future; AND
- WHEREAS, the current staffing level of the Patrol Division is currently minus five positions, three of which have been hired and are in academy and two of which have yet to be filled; AND
- WHEREAS, the Chief of Police understands the budgetary impact of such a request, but asserts the current 2023 Police Department Budget can handle the salary difference based upon vacant positions not being paid and; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council grants authority to the Chief of Police to increase the Cortland City Police Department staffing by one Uniform Sergeant position in 2023 and also grants authority to hire one additional Police Officer position to backfill the vacancy in the Patrol Division created by the Uniform Sergeant promotion.
Agenda Item #9 - Appropriate Annual Cortland City Police Bike Sale Proceeds
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department annually comes into possession of dozens of discarded bicycles, which remain unclaimed by owners; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department has limited space to store these bicycles; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department annually sells these bicycles at a minimal cost in a public sale to place the bicycles back in public use, while reducing the number of bicycles requiring storage; AND
- WHEREAS, the funds generated from these sales are donated to a worthy cause which benefits the public; AND
- WHEREAS, the Cortland City Police Department wishes to hold the annual bicycle sale on Saturday, May 13, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Armory on Wheeler Avenue, in order to place 80 bicycles back into public use; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council does hereby authorize the Cortland City Police Department to conduct the sale of unclaimed bicycles and affirms the funds from the above noted sale can be divided equally between the Water Works Deer Fund, for purchase of winter hay and habitat improvement, and the Cortland Youth Bureau, for the purchase of ice cream, which will be handed out to citizens throughout the parks over the summer as part of a joint Cortland City Police Department and Cortland City Youth Bureau Community Engagement effort.
Agenda Item #10 - Accept and Recognize Donations to Cortland Youth Bureau
- WHEREAS, donations have been given to the Cortland Youth Bureau which the Common Council must accept and allocate; AND
- WHEREAS, Mayor Steve, the Common Council and Cortland Youth Bureau wish to publicly recognize these donations and the generosity of the donors; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council accepts the donations listed below, and appropriates funds to the Cortland Youth Bureau operating budget accounts outlined below.
Agenda Item #11 - Authorize Request for Proposals for the Renovation of Existing Randall Park Tennis Courts to Include Pickleball and Tennis Courts
- WHEREAS, the Youth Bureau Director desires to have the tennis courts at Randall Park renovated to include both pickleball and tennis courts; AND
- WHEREAS, the Youth Bureau Director wishes to contractually engage such services through a Request for Proposals (RFP); NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
- RESOLVED, that the Common Council does hereby authorize the Youth Bureau Director to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to renovate the existing tennis courts to include pickleball and tennis courts and further authorizes Mayor Steve or his designee to enter into an agreement for such services to be paid for by private donations and American Rescue Plan Act funds.
ADJOURNMENT
