City of Cortland Common Council. (Photo provided by Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
Here is the agenda for Tuesday’s (September 5th, 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
Financial Reports
Financial Report #1 - Year to Date Actuals through August 2023
Financial Report #2 - External Audit Status
Financial Report #3 - 2024 Budget Development Process
Financial Report #4 - Grant and Capital Projects
Call to Order
- Roll Call
- Salute to the Flag
- Moment of silence/reflection
- Privilege of the floor/Presentations
- Mayor’s report
- Ward Reports
- Approval of Minutes
Supporting Documents
Resolutions
Agenda Item #1 - Amend the 2023 Adopted Budget by $29,420 to Recognize and Appropriate Additional Revenues Including Donations and Grants
WHEREAS, the Cortland Common Council is charged by the City Charter and Code with the preparation of an annual budget for the City of Cortland; AND
WHEREAS, on December 20, 2022, the Common Council adopted the City Budget for 2023; AND
WHEREAS, during the course of the fiscal year certain events occur that necessitate changing the budget plan by increasing or decreasing the total budget; AND
WHEREAS, the Department of Administration and Finance recommends the following adjustments to the budget; AND
WHEREAS, this resolution amends the City’s 2023 Adopted budget by $29,420 with appropriations to Police, Youth Bureau, Code Department, and Fire Department; AND
WHEREAS, the Police Department received a grant in the amount of $5,000 from PERMA to be appropriated to A3120-540800 for the purpose of increased offsetting the costs of bulletproof vests for the department; AND
WHEREAS, the Police Department received a $550 donation from Elizabeth Dubetsky and a $50 donation from Tom Terwilliger to support K9 activities and will be appropriated from TE0-2101; AND
WHEREAS, the Youth Bureau received a generous $10,000 donation from Mr. Cleary and an additional $913 in PBRT rental fees for the pickleball court renovation to be appropriated to A7110-540400; AND WHEREAS, the Youth Bureau received $2,050 of donations from Carol Schneider, from Porch Fest to be appropriated to TE0-2090; AND
WHEREAS, the Youth Bureau received $240 of donations from Carol Schneider, Donald King and the Armstrongs in memory of Bob Isaf to support improvements at Suggett Park, to be appropriated to TE0-2090; AND
WHEREAS, the Code Department received a $10,000 escrow payment to provide funding for the cost of services provided for development review processes for the project approval to be appropriated to A3620-541500 at the time of invoicing; AND
WHEREAS, the Fire Department received a generous $125 donation from Glen and Carole Clarke to be appropriated to TE0-2044; AND
WHEREAS, the Fire Department has various Unication G1 pages, charging bases, and associated accessories that are beyond their useful and can be surplus with the revenue received to be appropriated to equipment repair in A3410-540700; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, by the City of Cortland Common Council, that the 2023 budget be, and hereby is, amended in the amount of $29,420 as outlined in the accompanying table; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the Common Council declares Unication G1 Pagers, charging bases and accessories surplus items.
Agenda Item #2 - Sound Device Permit Application Submitted by Scott Heath for City Parks and Public Spaces
WHEREAS, § 193-5 of the City Administrative Code states that it “shall be unlawful to maintain or operate any loudspeaker or amplifier connected with any radio, phonograph, microphone, or other device by which sounds are magnified and caused to be heard over any public street or public place without first having been granted a permit therefor from the Common Council.” AND
WHEREAS, Scott Heath seeks a sound device permit for use of a Bose S1 Pro a public address system to be used in City parks and public spaces for ministry purposes within the permitted hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; AND
WHEREAS, Mr. Heath’s permit application does not include a specified, fixed location or date for which the permit would apply; AND
WHEREAS, the City Administrative Code provides that a fee for use of a sound device in “any public street or public place from any one fixed location” shall be “$250 for any day or part of a day for which the applicant desires permission”; AND
WHEREAS, the Code exempts from payment of the fee any “service club, religious organization, charitable organization or educational institution” provided that use of the sound device “will promote the general health, safety and welfare of the community”; AND
WHEREAS, Mr. Heath has previously acknowledged that he is not acting as part of a 501(c) (3) charitable or religious organization; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council does hereby approve the Sound Device Permit application as submitted by Scott Heath for use of a public address system within City parks and public spaces during the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the permit shall not limit use of the said sound device to one fixed location; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the Common Council does hereby exempt Mr. Health from the $250 per day fee.
Agenda Item #3 - Authorize City Fire Department to Hire Two Firefighters in Contemplation of Retirements
WHEREAS, the Cortland City Fire Department has an authorized force of 36 firefighters; AND
WHEREAS, staffing shortages require mandatory staffing levels to be filled with overtime, which is an increased cost to the City and often requires firefighters to work long hours above and beyond their normal scheduled shifts; AND
WHEREAS, the excessive overtime and longer shifts negatively impact firefighter safety and morale; AND
WHEREAS, the Fire Chief has received communications from two firefighters of their intent to retire in January of 2024, which would create two vacancies within the agency; AND
WHEREAS, there are scheduled Recruit Firefighter Training Academies to commence in September of 2023 which would allow replacement firefighters to be hired and commence their training before these vacancies; AND
WHEREAS, keeping staffing levels full reduces overtime, saves money, and increases firefighter safety and morale; AND
WHEREAS, 2023 personnel projections indicate the Fire Department can absorb the salary of the over-hire positions from September 2023 through December 2023; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council grants authority to the Fire Chief to hire two additional firefighters above authorized staffing levels and commence their training to lessen the impact of the anticipated staffing shortage resulting from the stated intent of two firefighters to retire in the first half of 2024.
Agenda Item #4 - Authorize Repair of Wastewater Morris Pump and Components through Emergency Purchase Order for a Contract Totaling $55,462
WHEREAS, the City of Cortland adopted a procurement policy on May 2, 2023; AND
WHEREAS, from time to time there are emergencies that require the procurement policy’s Request for Proposals (RFP) process to be bypassed so that critical systems and machines can be maintained and repaired; AND
WHEREAS, in May 2023 a Return Activated Sludge pump at the Wastewater Plant required repair and the diagnostic process involves taking apart the pump to identify if it is repairable and what needs to be repaired; AND
WHEREAS, it has also been noted that the lead time to purchase a comparable replacement pump is $141,500 with anticipated 28 to 30 week lead time; AND
WHEREAS, the estimate cost and time to repair is $55,462 and 16 to 20 weeks which is more efficient and cost effective; AND
WHEREAS, in order to maintain critical processes in the Wastewater treatment process in a manner which results in the most minimal disruption to system redundancy and potential downtime, administration recommends an emergency purchase order to issue a repair contract with Emmons Metro, LLC in Menands, New York and to bypass the request for proposal process; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the City of Cortland Common Council hereby authorizes an emergency purchase order in lieu of issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a contract with Emmons Metro, LLC to repair the Wastewater Treatment Facility’s Morris sludge pump; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby authorizes the appropriation of $55,462 from Wastewater Equipment Reserves to fund the necessary repairs.
Agenda Item #5 - Authorize Mayor to Submit a Municipal Approval Letter for a Cannabis Growers Showcase Event in the City’s General Business Regional Zoning District (GB-1)
WHEREAS, the Council that was elected for a two-year term commencing in 2020 having previously approved the operation cannabis dispensaries upon New York State’s legalization of the same; AND
WHEREAS, the City’s current Council having passed legislation that limits the operation of cannabis dispensaries to the City’s General Business Regional Zoning District (GB-1); AND
WHEREAS, the issuance of licenses to operate cannabis dispensaries by the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) remains in a state of flux as to the process on how the licenses will be issued and to whom they will be issued; AND
WHEREAS, in the meantime, New York State having approved an initiative entitled the Cannabis Growers Showcase Program (CGS) to allow licensed cannabis growers and processors to showcase cannabis products to consumers in a regulated environment where consumers may purchase those items from licensed retailers; AND
WHEREAS, the CGS program is of a temporary nature, and is approved to run through January 1, 2024; AND
WHEREAS, a site having already been approved within the GB-1 Zoning District for operation of a cannabis dispensary upon the issuance of a license to do so by New York State, said site being known as a property with an address of 156 Clinton Avenue; AND
WHEREAS, said property owner having agreed to organize a CGS event in accordance with the rules, regulations, and requirements set forth by the OCM, which include the issuance of a ‘Municipal Approval Letter’ from the City of Cortland authorizing the CGS event; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby authorizesthe organization of a Cannabis Growers Showcase event at 156 Clinton Avenue, conditioned on the organizers’ compliance with the rules, regulations, and requirements set forth by the Office of Cannabis Management; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the Mayor is authorized to submit a Municipal Approval Letter to the Office of Cannabis Management in support of this Cannabis Growers Showcase event for a period to expire on January 1, 2024, as is consistent with the temporary nature of the New York State approved program.
Discussion Items
Discussion Item #1 - Parker School
Discussion Item #2 - Foreclosures
