Village of Lansing

MINUTES of a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Lansing held on Monday, November 7, 2005, in the Village Office.

Present: Mayor Donald Hartill; Trustees, Lynn Leopold, Larry Fresinski, Frank Moore and John O’Neill; Attorney David Dubow; Clerk/Treasurer Jodi Dake; TG Miller Engineer David Putnam.

Mayor Hartill called the meeting to order at 7:32P.M.and opened the public comment period. There were many people present to talk about sewers but there were no other comments.

Motion-To Close the Public Comment Period

Trustee Fresinski moved to close the public comment period. Trustee O’Neill seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

Trustee John O’Neill-Aye

The Mayor presented a brief summary and overview of the Town/Village sewer situation. He stated that as many of the people present have read in the newspaper, we are working on an intermunicipal resolution to sewers. Approximately 6-7 years ago, serious negotiations started among the parties involved to determine the best way to create and use excess capacity at both the Ithaca and Village of Cayuga Heights (VCH) sewer plants. Both plants have undertaken projects to significantly improve phosphorous discharge levels. An agreement was signed among the six participating municipalities to create excess capacity in the VCH plant (for the Village and Town of Lansing) and to utilize existing excess capacity in the Ithaca plant. The first step was to complete the Kline Road Bypass, which is now fully operational, which freed up significant capacity in the VCH plant available to the Town and Village of Lansing. The problem we are facing now is how do we get sewage from the Town of Lansing to the VCH plant. The issues are complex. The parties involved have concluded at this point that there are three possible routes for a Town sewer main to be installed through the Village. All of the routes will involve at least one pump station. The three routes are as follows:

1. A forced Main down Cayuga Heights Road;

2. A gravity system down the abandoned Ithaca Auburn Shortline Railroad bed; and

3. A combination forced & gravity main down the east side of Route 34/East Shore Drive.

Don stated that the costs were all about the same except for Route 34 which would probably be an additional $5-700,000 due to factors specific to construction being done in a confined area along a state highway. These are currently approximate round numbers because we do not have detailed estimates.

Don introduced the three engineers that were present to assist in answering technical questions regarding the three possible routes: Dave Herrick, Principal Engineer for TG Miller and the Town’s engineer; Jim Blum from Stearns & Wheler, also working with the Town; and Dave Putnam, TG Miller and also the Village’s engineer.

Dave Herrick stated that all three routes have complications. The line down Cayuga Heights Road is a forced main and that has operating costs associated with it. Going down the railroad bed is a problem with the property owners and access for maintenance. And lastly, going down Route 34 would involve dealing with the NYSDOT. Town law requires that benefit districts be formed. He is helping the Town to fulfill components that are involved. Approximately 14 months ago he met with the Town of Lansing regarding two alternatives, and since that time the Route 34 alternative has been added to the discussion and is now also under consideration.

Jim Blum presented his views on the pros & cons of each proposed route and the systems to be utilized. He then went on to explain that there are two primary ways to transport waste, gravity and forced main.

A gravity main is reliable, it flows down hill and there is minimal maintenance in this simple system. Every 5 years you will need to do a check. At around 10 years you will video the lines to look for any issues. At 25 years you may have to go in and regrout the manholes. The life expectancy is 50 years. Additional connections can be made with gravity or pressurized systems. One weakness of a gravity line is you need grade to flow downhill.

A forced main system collects sewage at a pump station and then pressurizes it for transport. An advantage to this system is that you don’t need downhill land grade. The disadvantage is it’s more complex with pumps, valves and flow monitors, which will result in additional maintenance. To tie into a force main you must run a pressurized pipe.

He then addressed the three routes being considered to get the sewage from Burdick Hill Road through the Village to the VCH Plant:

A. A force and gravity main on Cayuga Heights Road. It would be 13,400 feet with 7,200 being a forced main and a pump station at Burdick Hill Road.

B. A gravity line down the railroad bed

C. A gravity and force main down Route 34. Residents would connect to a gravity line to the bottom and then to a pump station. If you live below the line you would have to have a pump to get up to the line.

Lynn distributed a fact sheet which she had received at a previous Town of Lansing sewer meeting. It gave a description, lengths and sizes, issues, service area, construction traffic issues, construction issues, restoration issues and operation and maintenance issues for each of the three routes. The summary will be attached to the end of the minutes.

Option A would run down Cedar Lane, the same path as the gas line that was done last summer. A one story fenced in pump station structure with lights and a back up power source will be included. Gravity lines would connect homes. The pump station would be located along the road by Mayor Hartill’s house and be mostly underground.

There are maintenance issues with a forced main. There is a lot of shale in the area that will be either blasted or ripped out. A 24” pipe would be paralleling the current line. Typically a force main will be approximately 4 ½ feet underground and a gravity line would have to be between 5-8 feet deep.

Option B would be a gravity system with 24” pipe approximately 12,000 foot long. There will be visual impacts relating to existing vegetation. Blum showed the audience pictures of the existing line area. A path will typically be 20-30 feet wide. One or more 20-foot access areas will need to be maintained to get equipment in to perform repairs and maintenance. There would have to be a clear cut through this area and at least two access points to enter would also be needed, which is significant. The possible access points would be down from Cedar Lane and from East Shore Drive. Another problem is that the Town would have to negotiate with the private property owners. Other concerns were Kate’s Hole where there are steep grades that would have to be filled in. The pipes that cross the creeks would be insulated so that they don’t freeze. Two spans would need to be built and at those points the ground level clearing would have to be 60 feet in width.

Option C utilizes a 7,000 foot, 24” pipe gravity system that would flow to a pump station at the bottom of the hill and then would be a 5,200-foot forced main system the remainder of the way to the VCH plant. One problem would be dealing with the NYSDOT. The engineers felt that 2-3 months of detour would be needed. Residents didn’t think that was very long at all. The engineers stated that restoration would be more expensive because of thicker pavement but a resident pointed out that the pipe would be going down the shoulder of the road not the middle of the road. This option would be similar to option A in that there are pumps, and is therefore more extensive than option B. The pipe would go in the uphill shoulder of the road. Some land along the road is Village property, but it is on a fairly steep road slope so more rock excavation would be needed.

The question arose as to what kind of maintenance would be needed for the system. Dave Herrick explained that the first 20 years would require minimal maintenance.

Bill Troy asked how many residents this pipe would serve. It was explained that the sewer line would mimic the current public water. It would serve from Ludlowville Road to Peruville Road south. It would serve approximately 500 residents, the schools and the correctional facilities. It can handle 4,000. The debt amortization period will be 20-30 years.

It was asked why the Town of Lansing was not doing a stand-alone treatment plant. Dave Herrick stated that in 1996 the Town did look at a stand-alone system. The Environmental Bond Act was passed at that time to do a joint package for phosphorous upgrades to both the VCH plant and the Ithaca plant. A regional solution was the NYSDEC’s priority and preference. As long as there can be a regional solution, they will not allow a stand-alone plant.

John Dennis questioned why we are moving sewage from the north to the south. Mediation is already needed at the south end of the lake. Water circulates counter clockwise. As far as the hydrology of the lake it’s not a good idea to discharge sewage south of the SCLIWC Water intake facilities. It should stay north of the source of our drinking water. He felt the DEC decision to not allow a new stand-alone plant further north to serve the Town of Lansing was bureaucratic and not good science.

It was asked what the costs would be for each option. Mayor Hartill stated that the average cost is $2 million, in round numbers, for the pipe that goes through the Village. For the Route 34 pipe it would be an additional $500,000. Total project costs don’t include the collection system in the Town of Lansing. The existing plants have already used $3 million of the Bond Act Funding. Mayor Hartill and Supt. Steve Farkas have not given up on the stand-alone plant idea.

It was explained by Mayor Hartill that typically it is easier to put in a forced main. From an operation and management perspective gravity is better. The Village will have access to the Town’s system as it passes through so we will share in the construction costs based on what we project as our usage. We’d have full expense of a pump station on Cayuga Heights Road. There is no longer a sewer moratorium in the Village of Lansing since we’ve completed the Kline Road Bypass. Basically, to put a sewer pipe in the ground it costs $70-100 per foot. A gravity main would cost the Village for materials and our share of the system that we would use. This would serve approximately 50-100 Village residents. Residents installing a line on the west side of Cayuga Heights Rd. would have more expense because they would have to go uphill.

Engineering designs have not been done for any of these three routes so the dollar amounts are all in round numbers. The residents wondered how they could make a decision when they don’t have a detailed cost. Don feels that the cost for all three routes is roughly the same. Homes will need a pump to get to a collection system. The residents would like to know the typical cost associated with each option to install a pump at their homes.

It was explained that an environmental impact statement has already been done. It was based on the regional project.

One resident thought that we should be looking at the difference between temporary inconvenience and permanent damage to residents. We should also consider the fact that sound and visual barriers may be removed in one or more of the options.

It was asked how and when a selection would be made. Don indicated that he had talked with Town Supervisor Steve Farkas and advised him that the Village would try to have some determination as to its position by the first of the year. Don asked the public to email him their feelings on the possible routes. Residents may also call Jodi at the office. Don will notify the Village residents when a decision is made. For more information one can go to lansingsewers.com.

It was asked if the Village would increase its liability by having a pump station. Don stated that we have insurance to cover that. The VCH and Ithaca plants are responsible for maintenance of their respective plants; we’re only “selling” to them. The biggest problem with sewer lines is water leaking in, not out. Sewer lines are made out of a plastic now. Before they were cast iron. Breaks don’t occur like they do in the water lines because they are not as pressurized.

A resident thanked the Board for going through this difficult decision and stated that they appreciate the hard effort they are putting into this. At this time most of the public left.

The next item on the agenda was to revisit the authorization previously granted to the Mayor to execute the proposed water agreement providing for water service to be extended to the 134 Burdick Hill Road property located in the Town of Lansing. Dubow explained that this is a situation where there is a house proposed to be built on Burdick Hill Rd. that is located on the portion of the lot that is in the Town of Lansing. The public water connection, however, would be at the road that is located in the Village. The Town is not in a position to set up a water district so the most reasonable thing is to connect to the Village water system. The owner had signed the proposed agreement and it went before the Town Board for approval. The Town Board agreed conceptually and approved execution but would not sign the agreement because they did not believe that they can guarantee payment. They did, however, pass a resolution for the Village to install a line on Town property, although that is not in fact the situation. The property owner will be hooking to the Village main in the Village. The Board appeared to agree to a revised agreement being prepared that would allow the Village to shut off the water service should the owner default on payments. It was also acknowledged that unpaid charges could be placed on the Village tax bill for the property where the water line is connected.

Resolution #5195- To Authorize the Mayor to Sign a New 134 Burdick Hill Water Agreement Which Eliminates the Language Relating to the Town and Allows Any Delinquent Water Charges to be Added to the Village Parcel Where They Connect to the Water Main.

Trustee Fresinski moved this resolution and Trustee Leopold seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

Trustee John O’Neill-Aye

Next on the agenda was approval of minutes.

Motion - To Approve the Minutes from September 15, 2005

Trustee Leopold moved that the draft meeting notes, as reviewed and revised by the Clerk/Treasurer and the Board, are hereby adopted as the official minutes. Trustee Fresinski seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

Trustee John O’Neill-Abstain

Motion - To Approve the Minutes from October 12, 2005

Trustee O’Neill moved that the draft meeting notes, as reviewed and revised by the Clerk/Treasurer and the Board, are hereby adopted as the official minutes. Trustee Fresinski seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Abstain Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

Trustee John O’Neill-Aye

Motion - To Approve the Minutes from October 17, 2005

Trustee Leopold moved that the draft meeting notes, as reviewed and revised by the Clerk/Treasurer and the Board, are hereby adopted as the official minutes. Trustee Fresinski seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

Trustee John O’Neill-Aye

The Mayor stated that the Village had previously sold their backhoe at the Town of Lansing auction and had authorized John Courtney to buy another backhoe for up to $40,000. He was not able to get a backhoe at that auction. Don informed him of another auction that was taking place in Syracuse last weekend. John Courtney went to the auction in Syracuse and found a 4-wheel drive Caterpillar backhoe for $37,875. A resolution is needed to purchase this backhoe and do a budget transfer from the Capital Outlay line item to Highway Equipment.

Resolution #5196- To Purchase a Backhoe from Alex Lyon & Son and do a General Fund Budget Transfer from A5112.2, Transportation, Permanent Improvements, Capital Outlay to A5110.2, Transportation, Street Maintenance, Equipment in the amount of $37,875

Trustee Moore moved this resolution and Trustee Fresinski seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

Trustee John O’Neill-Aye

Next on the agenda was Mayor’s comments. The Mayor had no additional comments.

Jodi asked the Board to authorize her to send the delinquent taxes to Tompkins County Finance. She stated that this year the total for the eight parcels that did not pay their taxes was $2,168.72. If Village residents do not pay their taxes within 6 months they are forwarded to the County and the County pays us. It then becomes the County’s problem and these delinquent amounts appear on the taxpayer’s County tax bill.

Resolution #5197 -To Authorize the Clerk/Treasurer to Forward the

Delinquent Taxes to the County

Trustee O’Neill moved this motion and Trustee Moore seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

Trustee John O’Neill-Aye

The Board signed the return of delinquent taxes.

Motion- To Adjourn

Trustee Fresinski moved for adjournment. Trustee Leopold seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

Trustee John O’Neill-Aye

The meeting adjourned at 9:38 PM.

Jodi Dake Clerk/Treasurer