MINUTES of a meeting of the
Board of Trustees of the
Present: Mayor Donald Hartill;
Trustees,
Mayor
Hartill called the meeting to order at 7:40P.M.and opened the public comment
period. There were no comments.
Trustee
Fresinski moved to close the public comment period. Trustee Leopold seconded
the motion. A vote was taken:
Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee
The next item on the agenda was a public information
meeting to consider and approve the 2005-06 Storm Water Management Plan Annual
Report.
Executive Summary
Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems
(MS4s)
This Annual Report has been prepared in compliance
with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation permitting requirements
for small MS4s, which includes the
·
Public Education and Outreach on Stormwater Impacts
·
Public Involvement/Participation
·
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
·
Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
·
Post-Construction Stormwater Management
·
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations
MCM 1: Public Education/Outreach on Stormwater Impacts
The Village has been actively involved with the Stormwater
Coalition of
MCM 2: Public Involvement/Participation
As with MCM 1, the Village has benefited from the efforts of many
organizations and agencies to include public in stormwater activities, such as
litter clean-ups, stream bank stabilizations, trash and hazardous waste
management and volunteer monitoring of local streams and the
MCM 3: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
The Village has not yet adopted regulations to control illicit
discharges to Village waterways and storm sewers, but will be working on this
over the coming year. Illicit discharges, such as dumping wastewaters directly
into the Village’s storm sewers, are already prohibited under the Tompkins County
Sanitary Code. Certain discharges, such as dumping waste oil or other
pollutants into local ditches and streams, will be prohibited by Village law.
MCM 4: Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
The Village must adopt a stormwater law that requires stormwater
controls on any new developments one acre or larger. Many projects are already
using the latest required methods on construction sites, since many
requirements already exist in Village subdivision regulations. New developments
must submit Stormwater Pollution Prevent Plans, which the Village Planning
Board/Engineer reviews. The Village hopes to adopt a local law late this year
or early in 2007. Tompkins County Planning performed a Gap Analysis, a survey
of all Village’s codes and regulations, to see how our stormwater controls compared
to NY State’s sample stormwater law. The analysis found that while we have many
areas that are similar, we still have to adopt a local law that covers
everything required by the State. The Village Code Enforcement Officer has
attended DEC training workshops on stormwater in the past year.
MCM 5: Post-Construction Stormwater Management
This requirement is much like the previous one, except that once
the development is finished, the area must be monitored to ensure that
stormwater does not cause erosion that will carry sediment off the site. Again,
the same issues apply to adopting state requirements as part of our local law.
For both MCM 4 and 5, the Village will need to adopt some sort of funding
mechanism to cover the additional costs of review, monitoring and in some
cases, remediation.
MCM 6: Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations
The Village also must comply with stormwater regulations in its
own municipal operations, such as highway, bridge, park, rights-of-way and building
maintenance. We already have many measures in place to ensure that pollutants
are properly managed and not allowed to enter our waterways. Examples: road
salt is stored in its own closed building, retention basins and storm sewers
checked and cleaned annually. DPW staff will probably need to have some
additional training on pollution prevention.
The point of all this effort:
Over the past year the Village has continued its
involvement with organizations that had public education programs underway
prior to the implementation of the mandated MS4 program, such as the Cayuga
Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization.
A large number of the other required activities were already standard
practices for the Village. They include public involvement through subdivision
and site plan review, regular spring street cleaning, construction site erosion
and sediment control and the installation of stormwater facilities to treat
runoff from newly developed areas.
The Village is a member of the Stormwater Working
Group (SWG), an intermunicipal partnership in Tompkins County that focuses
specifically on stormwater management issues for the MS4s. The SWG is composed
of MS4 representatives from Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca, the Village of
Cayuga Heights, the Village of Lansing, the Towns of Lansing, Dryden, Caroline,
and Ulysses, and other local groups. The mission of the group is to provide a
central resource to help the MS4 communities fulfill the mandated requirements.
The Village will continue to comply with the Phase
II SPDES requirements, and will actively insure implementation of the
stormwater management plan. This effort
will, however, require significant staff time and monetary expenditures. Lynn
has requested assistance from the staff to determine the actual costs.
Ned Hickey reported that the Planning Board will be
using the services of the Soil & Water Conservation personnel to survey
proposed development lands of less than one acre.
Ned indicated that he has had three inquires from
owners of Village properties with deep drainage ditches as to possibly
installing culvert pipes and filling in the ditch area. Ned asked if a culvert
is better than a ditch. Dave Putnam stated that it is site specific. A couple
of these properties are on Dart Drive. Ned asked about sidewalks on Dart Drive
and if a decision had been made as to whether sidewalks are going to be
installed, and if so, on what side of the road.
Don stated that any decision regarding the location of sidewalks would
be made by the Village engineers. Ownership of Dart Drive was discussed. Don asked Jodi to identify a couple of
properties on Dart Drive and Cayuga Heights Road for Dave Putnam to research
and collect information as to where the property lines and road right of way
lines are located and how the roads were originally established.
Lynn stated that it is scary
what some people put down the storm sewers. The Board discussed different
things that could be done like stenciling “Drains to the Lake” on the storm
sewers or informing the Village residents by placing another article in the
newsletter. It was agreed that there is a need to educate our public because
some are uninformed on the subject.
The Board approved the 2005-06
Storm Water Management Plan Annual Report and the Mayor Signed the
Certification Page.
Dave Putnam had nothing to
report. He indicated he had come for the Stormwater Report. Lynn thanked Dave
for his help. Mayor Hartill thanked Lynn for all she has done with respect to
stormwater matters, and also indicated that she had done an excellent job again
this year preparing the annual report.
The next item on the agenda
was consideration of an amendment to the Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal
Water Commission Agreement of Municipal Cooperation. Dubow explained that the
proposed amendment came about when a resident in the Town of Ulysses, which is
just over the Town of Ithaca line, requested to be supplied with public water.
Several years ago the Town of Ithaca contracted to have the water main extended
along Taughannock Blvd. to the Town of Ithaca line. The contractor
inadvertently installed the water main 150 feet into the Town of Ulysses. Mr.
Evans, the owner of the property requesting water service from the Town of
Ithaca, approached the Town several months ago and asked for permission to
connect to the main in front of his property. The Town informed Mr. Evans that
they would approve him connecting to the main pending approval from the
Commission and the member municipalities.
The Commission was originally
concerned that each time a non-member municipal customer requested a supply of
water from the Commission, the Agreement of Municipal Cooperation would have to
be amended, which could lead to a very cumbersome document. To allay that
concern, Commission attorney John Barney prepared the proposed amendment and
added a schedule of non-member municipal customers. If additional non-member
municipal customers are supplied with water in the future, only the schedule
will have to be amended, not the entire agreement.
Dubow has prepared a
resolution for the Board to consider. The resolution gives background history
explaining the need for the Amendment, confirms that no SEQR review is
necessary, and authorizes the Mayor to sign the final document as currently proposed and
with such further revisions and modifications as the Mayor deems necessary
and/or appropriate following review of the Amendment by all member
municipalities of the Commission. David
explained that he prepared the resolution this way because the Amendment will
need to be reviewed by multiple parties, changes having already been suggested.
The proposed changes are not substantial. If any substantial changes are
proposed, this matter would come back for further Board action.
Resolution#5253 -Approving an Amendment to the Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission Amended, Supplemental, Restated and Consolidated Agreement of Municipal Cooperation for Construction, Financing and Operation of an Inter-Municipal Water Supply and Transmission System
WHEREAS, the Southern Cayuga
Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission (the “Commission”) has determined that it
is appropriate under certain circumstances to authorize and permit the sale of
water by a member Municipality of the Commission to one or more customers
located outside of the boundaries of such member Municipality provided such
sale is approved by all of the member Municipalities of the Commission; and
WHEREAS, the Commission wishes to
amend the Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission Amended,
Supplemental, Restated and Consolidated Agreement of Municipal Cooperation for
Construction, Financing and Operation of an Inter-Municipal Water Supply and
Transmission System (the “SCLIWC Agreement”) to provide for the foregoing
authority and permission, upon the consent of all of the member Municipalities
of the Commission, for the sale of water by a member Municipality of the
Commission to one or more customers located outside of the boundaries of such
member Municipality; and
WHEREAS, a proposed Amendment (the
“Amendment”) of the SCLIWC Agreement has been prepared for such purpose
providing for the addition of a new section 18B, the approval and execution of
the such Amendment being required of all member Municipalities of the
Commission; and
WHEREAS, the Village Board of
Trustees has reviewed the Amendment, and specifically the newly proposed
section 18B to be added to the SCLIW Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Village of Lansing is a member
Municipality of the Commission and a party to the SCLIWC Agreement, and in such
capacities hereby wishes to (i) approve the general form and substance of the
Amendment and (ii) authorize execution thereof on its behalf; and
WHEREAS, the Village Board of
Trustees recognizes that the Amendment will need to be reviewed and approved by
the remaining member Municipalities of the Commission and some or all of their
attorneys, which review and approval may necessitate minor corrections and
revisions to the Amendment prior to its execution by all required parties;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Village of Lansing Board of Trustees, in accordance with Article 8 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law - the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQR”) and 6 NYCRR Section 617.5, hereby determines that adoption of the Amendment is a Type II action, constituting “routine or continuing agency administration and management, not including new programs or major reordering of priorities that may affect the environment,” and thus may be processed without further regard to SEQR; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village of Lansing Board of Trustees hereby approves the general form and substance of the Amendment and authorizes the Mayor to execute the Amendment as currently proposed and with such further revisions and modifications as the Mayor deems necessary and/or appropriate following review of the Amendment by all member Municipalities of the Commission.
Trustee
Moore moved this resolution. Trustee Leopold seconded the motion. A vote was
taken:
Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee
The next item on the agenda
was to approve the minutes from May 1, 2006.
Motion-Approval of Minutes for May 1, 2006
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
Next on the agenda was to
approve the Tax Warrant. Jodi explained that she has been working with Mary
Mills at the Tompkins County Assessment Department to come up with the final
counts.
To:
Jodi L. Dake
Treasurer of the Village of Lansing
YOU
ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to receive and collect from the several names in the
assessment roll, hereunto annexed, the several sums named in the last column
thereof opposite their respective names, altogether a total of $1,012,450.96,
for the following purposes:
For the General Fund 558,767.34
For the Water Fund 0.00
For the Special Assessment-Sewer
Collector Fund 21,112.34
For Delinquent Water Rents 5,107.99
For Delinquent Sewer Rents 707.29
For Cayuga Heights Sewer Rents 426,756.00
YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to receive
as much thereof as may voluntarily be paid to you from June first to and
including July first of this year, without additional charge, and after
expiration of the time mentioned to proceed forthwith to collect the residue of
the sums not so paid in as aforesaid, with five per centum charge for the first
month and an additional one per centum charge for each month and fraction
thereof thereafter, and you are to file the tax roll and warrant in your office
on or before the 15th day of November 2006, at which time the taxes
will be returned to the County tax roll.
Resolution
#5254 –To Authorize the Mayor to Sign the Tax Warrant
Trustee
Leopold moved this resolution. Trustee Fresinski seconded the motion. A vote
was taken:
Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee
Mayor Hartill stated that we
should see blacktop on N. Triphammer Rd. in two weeks. He is amazed that
traffic has flowed as well as it has. He explained that double work had to be
done to prepare the area for the winter which will cost the Village
approximately an additional $150,000.
The Mayor reported that he has
still not heard from NYSDOT regarding the Town sewer/ Route 34B traffic
diversion plan. He will speak with Carl Ford, the NYSDOT regional director, at
the MPO meeting on Tuesday and will try to set up a meeting with him. The
Town’s current preferred plan is to take the sewer main down Cayuga Heights
Road. Don asked Jodi to call Jim Blum at Stearns & Wheler to get a copy of
the colored map of the Cayuga Heights proposed routing and to remind him that
he was going to send Don the entire project cost breakdown. Don explained that
if they do go down Cayuga Heights Road there would be an additional cost to
expand it two feet so that a gravity system will be installed at the same time.
Frank questioned what would be
done for our benefit. Will it be widening the ditch? Whatever one does, we’ll
be using the forced main. This is a low-density area and it will be very
expensive. Frank stated that the next Town sewer meeting is May 31st
and he requested that the Mayor attend this meeting. Don will be out of town
but will have an estimate of additional cost items for the Cayuga Heights
route. Frank quoted Town Supervisor Farkas as saying that the Town intends to
choose the least expensive route. Don stated that sometimes the cheapest isn’t
a great bargain.
Lynn asked when the
landscaping along N. Triphammer Rd. would start. Don stated that they are doing
some now on finished sections. Final landscaping will not be done until the
project is nearly complete in late fall. There is still a lot of streetlighting
and traffic control work to do. Ned asked when the new streetlights would be
turned on. Though some are up, there is still no power to them. There will be a
ribbon cutting for this project upon its completion.
Motion-
To Adjourn
Trustee
Fresinski moved for adjournment. Trustee Moore seconded the motion. A vote was
taken:
Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee
The meeting adjourned at 8:50
PM.
Jodi Dake
Clerk/Treasurer