Common Council - Regular Meeting

much worse out there than it is. But at least Saturday's kind of looking that doesn't call the uh work session to order on December 4th. Um Andrew. Yeah.

So, good afternoon everybody. Um, we have our team from Garden from the Juice here tonight. They're going to go over some of the uh the project specific things for the Corny Street Rehabilitation Project. Um, just a quick little overview here. Uh, this project's been going for a couple years now. It started out with a survey and traffic study that was done by Labella. Um, after that, we actually talked to DOT where DOT is giving us grant funding to do this project. Essentially what we're going to be doing is almost a complete street project here where we're widening the road, adding sidewalks, bike lanes. I'm sure many of you know uh days like today when people who typically walk or bike that street to go get their groceries will walk down the middle of the road with a handful of groceries um right in the drive lanes. So that's the type of stuff we're trying to uh stop from happening with this project. So, um, after the traffic study and after we got funding from DOT to move forward with the project, we've hired Barton and Judas to do the design. Um, we have submitted the draft design report to DOT. They've come back with a few comments. Um, we're uh in the process of making those comments now to where we should be moving forward with uh preliminary final design and then uh construction hopefully in 20 uh 2027. So, I'll uh hand it over to Dan and his team and they can go through and uh kind of give you the the brief quick little uh public information session here. Uh and then after that, uh one of the things you guys are going to be voting on tonight is to declare yourself lead the agency for secret determination for the project. Um if you have any questions about that, we can go over that after the presentation. Thank you.

Bill forgot just full screens. Yep. All right. Good afternoon. I'm Dan. With me I have Chris Hannah project of the project and Brown here. So we spent a few times on the project and we're here to give it up for the public and take questions. So Andrew already touched on the name of the project team city departmentations and federal government the federal high project. So, uh, Andrew mentioned that, you know, funding is coming through DOT. It's already secured. What the funding that you have right now is for design only uh about $1.5 million. Um there's several things that are included in that um including uh preliminary design, the draft design report, which is a a written report, environmental evaluation of the project that that's at DOT right now. Uh we've also done extensive utility review the project corridor.

We've inspected all of the sanitary sewer lines out there. Um, and you might have seen the city has already kind of proactively taken the approach of protecting the investment in this project by lining the sewer system. So, there's some construction activity out there lately. Uh, and the project funding also it gets us up to the point of going out to bid to construction. And the next steps after that are working with DOT to just align the funding to pay for the actual construction phase. Um,

so this project here's your the project limits are shown here in red. Uh, basically the town city line right at Churchill Street um up Cornelia to Prospect Avenue. Um, and then we have the stuff by Walgreens there about halfway to Prospect on that approach. So project objectives. These are like the main bullet points that we're trying to achieve with this project. Uh number one being improving traffic operations out here. Overall safety for everybody that uses this corridor. So stop vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists. Um one of the key items is to improve the Cornell Street and Frog Street intersections. We're well aware of the congestion that happens there. uh access management. So, you know, there's some really wide driveway openings. Um kind of creates a little bit of chaos when you're coming in and out of all the commercial businesses. So, just kind of cleaning that up and making it a more um more standard look. So, everybody is entering and exiting the highway in the same way. Um drainage, utility improvements. Um, again, protecting that investment in, you know, the new sidewalls and the new pavement, making sure everything that's underground, it is sound. Um, and just generally enhance the appearance of the corridor, streetscape improvements. This is the gateway to the city. Just, you know, improving that first impression if you're coming off of the highway into the city.

Yes.

All right. Um, so I think everyone here is probably pretty familiar with the existing conditions of the corridor. I'm sure you've driven it or walked it or biked it a lot. So, um, if you have, you know, there's no designated sidewalk in a lot of those areas there, um, or a lot of the areas throughout the the project limits that Dan mentioned. Um, no ADA compliant sidewalk. So, that means keeping the cross slope generally level so everybody, you know, people in wheelchairs and everything can access it. Um, really smooth. uh transitions everywhere. Um no bumps or anything like that. So making it accessible to all users uh is really the goal of this project. Um and the complex intersection there that's Broad Street and uh Cornelia Street bottom right there. Um again that making that more pedestrian friendly, adding crosswalks throughout, adding pedestrian signals. Um really cleans that one up. More existing conditions. So curbing throughout has been beat up by snow plows uh over the years. Um bottom left there, you know, poor delineation of a driveway. You can barely tell the difference between where the driveway ends and the roadway begins there. It's just asphalt with paved over curb in a lot of areas. Uh top right there, nona compliant curb ramp again. So um standards have changed a lot since this has probably been worked on last. So, um really bringing that up to the latest standards which are, you know, meant to protect uh all those um pedestrians and non-motorized users. And then overhead utilities, there's a lot of those uh throughout the corridor. Um most of them are some kind of communications horizon or um some of the others. So, um one of the goals of this project is to potentially underground those utilities through there um and clean up the look of the corridor as Dan mentioned. So,

uh existing condition. So we assess the level of service um which is a measures or it's a way to categorize the delay at each intersection there. So we assign a grade scale A through F. Uh for the average time that a driver would wait at an intersection. Uh so if it's an A, it's really good. uh you on average if you pull up to an intersection you wouldn't wait less than 10 seconds. Uh it goes to a B is from 10 to 20 seconds. Uh F is more than 80 seconds and 80 seconds which would feel like an eternity if you're sitting there for almost a minute and a half at a red light on average. So that's um that's also during your peak hour too. So that's you know during right now usually 4:30 to 5 uh generally part of the peak hour there. Um so of the three intersections where we are going to replace the traffic lights and aiming to improve all the service we got Kogan A and Pilia uh Broad Street and Prospect A. Uh so the Kogan A um intersection there that has pretty good delay uh there only 9 seconds on average. But then both Broad Street and Prospect were level of service C with 25 seconds on average roughly um delay at each of those intersections. There's also crash history out there. This is part of our initial uh preliminary design. Uh we look at the safety of the corridor. Um look at uh what crashes have occurred usually over threeear time span time frame. We uh brought this out a little further to fiveyear time frame. So, um you can see a summary here of the crashes that have occurred. Um the they're broken down. We have personal injury crashes. We have property damage crashes and not reportable. So, personal injury, that's pretty self-explanatory. Someone got

injured in that crash. Property damage is usually um just vehicle damage or it could also be someone hit a light pole or something, utility pole, something like that. Um, so you can see there are mostly property damage crashes throughout uh that five-year stretch there. Um, not too many injuries. Um, and on the right table there, a lot of rear ending uh crashes are occurring at these intersections. Uh, and some right angle which would be uh some kind of turning uh crash there. So either somebody turning and hitting another vehicle um or that. So another goal again of this project is improve safety for all users. So that would be through new uh traffic signals making them a lot more conspicuous to the drivers that are going to be could be waiting at a traffic light. Uh so the proposed design so this is a engine crosssection of the roadway. So on top we have the existing roadway section there. Um which consists of four through lanes, a two-way left turn lane in the middle. Uh and then generally you just hit the curb there and then outside of that curb you have some places you have sidewalks, some places you have driveways, some places you have grass, you have asphalt that may look like a sidewalk. Um, so what our project is proposing to do is to keep that same vehicle travel lane configuration there. Uh, where we have the four travel lanes, two in each direction, that two-way left turn lane, keeping them all the same width, too. Uh, but then we're going to extend that curb out five feet, add a bike lane in there, um, both sides, and then we'll include a 4ft utility strip, uh, where, you know, you'll have lighting. Um you'll have snow storage. Uh you know that files up quite a bit. And then outside of that you'll have a five foot sidewalk on both sides as

well. So this is your or you can see where um we also need additional rightway on either side. So right now uh the average highway boundary is about 50 or 63 to 89 feet I believe that is. So we'll need to go out from that um roughly 88 feet to 94 feet uh for right away. So, a lot of really narrow strip takings along that corridor there. Um, and that's really just so that the city can continue to maintain uh what their investment is right now. If something needs to be replaced under that sidewalk or if they need to replace the sidewalk, they can do so without um without any delay. So, and this again just shows the corridor um in a prettier picture of what uh that would look like with the bike lanes on either side. um your travel lanes, that utility strip, that uh snow storage area there where all the lights are and then the sidewalk outside of that. Um so again, overall project limits and the whole corridor here um overlaid with the new pavement and asphalt uh and generally what our conceptual design is going to look like. So again, improvements include ADA compliant sidewalks, 5 foot wide bike lanes, undergrounding those utilities, improved drainage throughout so that we're moving that curb line. So we're going to have to put in new drainage structures, which uh we also ccted. We ran a little robot through each uh each drainage pipe there. Found a lot of um vaults that nobody knew were there before. And uh found a lot of pipes that had issues. Some pipes had other pipes going through them. So, um that new drainage structure or that new drainage infrastructure there, we'll remove all that old stuff there and uh replace that with new stuff and um you know, we'll look at what the drainage looks like out there now and hopefully eliminate any puddles or any

other areas um where that's coming uh through as well. So, breaking this down into smaller sections here, uh, from the city limits, we extend a little bit outside that to, um, repair some of the water, uh, infrastructure that's underneath um, new valve system there just outside the city limits. And then moving on, so you can see how we have some uh, reconsolidated driveways um, kind of changing where some of the entrances and exits are through some of the businesses throughout. um that new traffic light, new project blocks at Bogen A there. Um new striping, new asphalt, everything um be replaced there. Again through here, uh this stretch um same thing, all the driveways, reconsolidating them, reconfiguring them. Um and then just showing that uh proposed cross-section on top again, how it'll look um from the aerial view. And then you know if you're looking down the street as well. Uh so here Broad Street intersection uh with Bernelia. So new traffic, light and pedestrian signals at this intersection. Um we were able to work in a little bit of uh geome geometric improvements here to try to align people from Broad Street as they're coming through. try to align them a little bit um better with going through going to the west uh towards 87 there. Um just try to make that turn a little better and um adding in some of those uh dashed lines that you see there in the middle um there as well. Um and I'm just really trying to make it so this interception will just flow a little better and you don't have any uh accidents where you have sidewipes or any confusion there. Um it also be new to improve the vehicle detection. So

that'll be all part of the traffic operations that are improved here um for the traffic as well. And then the last leg of the project here uh just from that uh end there by Kitty Drugs to Prospect AD where we'll we will um redo that traffic light there as well. So, and again those five foot bikes wide bike lanes will extend all the way from the prospect there out to the uh out to the city limits.

Uh so overall Andrew touched on the project schedule a little bit. So we are right in the middle there public information meeting December 2025 that's today. So up to date, we've uh done a lot of coordination with DOT, FHWA on the environmental reviews to date uh through the design report. Um we did a historic assessment of the corridor part of section 106 required by FHWA and we've done um environmental screenings for threatened native species. Uh that's also required by FHWA and DOT. Um, so then hopefully be getting design approval beginning in uh the spring here in 2026, which then means that we can really get to the nuts and bolts of designing the roadway corridor here, really getting things ready uh for construction to start hopefully in April of 2027. Um, also have here down at the bottom, our overall construction total, we're estimating right now at just under 15 million. um invest roadways, cruisecape improvements, drainage, utility, lighting, traffic signals, traffic control, and uh the other miscellaneous um costs that are included with uh never hire a outside contractor to do this work stuff. Any questions? You can contact uh Andrew.

I have them all right now. I have several. Um I thought the city line was up to Starbucks. So it is on that side of the road. We actually follow um this the city corporation line uh comes along the right ofway on that southerntherly portion of the road and then at McDonald's it cuts across the road over to Churchill Street and goes. So it's just much easier to just stop it at Churchill. Yeah. because of everything the actual roadway itself from Church Hill West is is not in the city limits. That's actually okay.

In the town of Platford, but it's operated by Okay. Um how what about um Cornelian Prospect? We're not doing anything with that traffic. Cornelia and Prospect is broad and prospect is not right. Yeah. M So I looked at it backwards. Yes. Cool. Okay. But why aren't we doing prompts? Because the the original project was only supposed to be the route three corridor. Okay.

Um if we had gone an alternate route, then we would have had to look at that intersection as part of the all the traffic studies and everything for the potential of the the the roundabout. But didn't we kind of I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. Didn't we all agree that that's kind of like the traffic gets backed up quite a bit and that traffic light is that's that's what the concern was if we had gone the other other thing. Yes. So had had we gone that then we were going to reach out to DOT to see if we could include that intersection as part of the project because of the effect that the that option may have had on that intersection. And then coming out of Walry,

is it a possibility to look at it in still now though or is it too late? I I mean we could we could reach out to DOT because we're trying to Yeah, we that's one of the problems with that structure. Am I wrong, right at this point? I would feel that DOT is going to want that as a separate problem. You need to get stuff you need. She needs the stuff. Um so she knows what we've come up to so far. Yeah. But the um I mean just something so she's she knows where we've been all along. But um coming out of Walgreens is is it going to be left and right? It's not going to be straight.

Right. So I didn't see that.

Yep. What we're going to do is there are going to be certain traffic movements that are not going to be allowed that are currently allowed, I guess, or are currently being done. So, if you're leaving Walgreens, you're no longer going to be able to go straight across and you're no longer going to be able to go straight across and take a right onto Cornelius Street. You're only going to be able to make a right-hand turn onto Broad Street or a lefthand turn on Cornelius Street. All right? And vice versa, as you're coming out of stewards, you're no longer going to be able to go straight across or go across Broad Street. It's going to be a left hand on the Cornelia or right hand on the Cornelia. Okay? Because a majority of the accidents that happen at that intersection are people pulling up. And this one's going straight across, but the one coming out of Walgreens thinks they've got the right away and then you end up with a collision there, right? So, we're eliminating those turn movements to to eliminate

I know that was like with this design that was one of our major um major concerns was that going straight. Um and it's funny because when you look at those pictures you don't really realize it because you live here, you drive it, you don't when you look at those pictures that's in pretty bad shape. It is bad sideways and everything. as you and a lot of like uh Chris had mentioned a lot of those are very steep slope so just trying to walk on those without having any type of mobility issue can can be tricky especially when you get in front of the car wash that's that's a pretty steep slope there um so this will widen you know widen that out change the grade of those so you know 2% frost lo sidewalk and make it much more friendier for pedestrian accessibility. I know it's

Do you have more questions? No, me too. I have some questions. Hi. Okay. Um, you might have uh explained this in the graphic, but is there a estimate as to how much wider in total the corridor?

So, yeah. So, the the actual right of ways vary. So when we had initially done our traffic study and survey, we actually ended up having to pay label a little bit more money for the survey because typically you have rightaway mapping for a road like this. DOT had no rightaway mapping. So what they had to do was they actually had to analyze every single parcel and every single parcel had a different depth that went into the roadway. So essentially when we do highway takings, everybody's highway taking is going to be a little bit different because their parcel extends into the roadway a little bit more than others. Okay. So they're they're going to vary as you go down through the corridor. I don't Is there an average? Yeah.

Yeah. So seven and a half expanded, which is pretty good on each side or total? Yeah. So like 14 feet of increased width. Okay. Okay. And then um just so I understand the starting point um is it accurate to say that the problems that we're trying to solve for are aesthetic and also safety. So so when we started this project safety was our number one priority. So the two issues that we were looking to fix were the intersection

Yeah. uh of Cornelia and Broad basically the Walgreens stewards possible deposit entrance. Yeah. Um there's a huge accent rate. I think we were what 10% higher than the highest average in the nation. They're 10 times higher than the nation's average for an intersection comparable. That's fair. Um and then the other thing is is as I spoke before when I say you can literally drive up that street and see people carrying their groceries down the middle of the road because wheelchairs. That was our big was the 88 with there being no sidewalks and all of the grocery stores are on the west end of town. Anybody who lives on the east end of town will walk up there and carry their groceries down.

Um we I've actually witnessed somebody on a bicycle go across the crosswalk from Burger King over to it was a gas station at the time, but now it's the the beer store. Um there's no drop there. So, he pushed the button, crossed the road, rode his bike across, and hit the curb and went flying off of his bike.

So, it's things like that that we're trying to fix um with this project. Uh so, pedestrian safety, vehicular safety, aesthetics. If you're going to do a project like this, you're going to make it look better. And then um as Chris had mentioned, we had some utility uh not utility issues, but things that we thought we could improve on. So, as a portion of the project, we had to have all the lines came anyways. Um, that let us know that our sewer lines in particular weren't in great shape, but they were in good enough shape to slip line, which is why this past summer, we uh Mike and his crew had a team come in and slip line those sewer lines. So, that's going to give us a better life expectancy of those pipes um through the process. So, that's one less thing that we're going to have to do as a portion of this project because it's already done. And then there'll be all new storm sewer put in uh as a portion of this project.

Okay, cool. Um thank you. Is there a estimate around how much the collision rate would be expected to decrease based on the changes?

No. So the the main things to point out with the crash analysis that looked up on the street before you write she wasn't here. Oh. Oh. Oh yeah. We had a little presentation. It was kind of cool to That's fine. And the main those are typically caused by congestion areas when starting a lot at friendly

multilane highways where you're in and out of properties properties. So improving the operations of the signals uh increasing the level of service getting close to the local service and getting people through the intersection rather than stopping all the time and cleaning up the driveway. So it's not a 60 foot driveway. This person's going to take a left here. Someone's going to take a left in here creating all these like weird traffic movements. You're not really expecting to do that. Mhm.

Those will fall, they take away the chances of those types of Okay. And with the redrawing of the I don't know what the verbiage is for this kind of thing. With the redrawing of the lines in the intersection area. Yeah. Um Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Is there any information you can provide around um well well just what you'd expect to change in terms of collision rates

the way Broad Street there is aligned right now there if you drive a straight you would end up hitting another vehicle head on

there. So this will hopefully draw be drawing those lines there through the intersection will keep the people that are right lane on Broad Street there end up in the right lane on Cornelia Street and then the same thing if for the people the left lane on Broad Street end up hugging that yellow line there hopefully end up right that yellow line. So it would keep vehicles from potentially colliding in the middle. So, so typically what happens is right now this line's actually up here. So, your cars parked there and because this is just a straight cars naturally go straight like you said they end up almost in a head collision here. And by taking this and angling it, it makes them project out and then come back and then push that line back real good.

There's going to be lines there, right? To show Okay. Just so I understand, it's just a matter of redrawing the lines though. You're not changing the pattern really of the traffic and how it's proceeding pattern traffic, but we are changing the geometry of the roadway a little bit. So on Broad Street there, you can see there's a little bit of a curve to that, a little bit of scoop there, but now it's a straight line. So we're trying to bring people down and then up a little bit to just make it more of a square. Yeah. So when the when the car sits at the stoplight, instead of being straight and looking at

a car in front of them coming at them, they're going to be angled a little bit this way away from that car. So naturally, they're going to come to the intersection and then they're going to turn to go through the intersection heading west on Courtney Street. Okay? It just changes their their geometry a little bit. So they'll naturally come up and then over and you see the occasional person. I I myself do it. you pull way up and kind of like almost like a a a square almost like a corner. And the problem you have there is if the person on the outside lane doesn't go far enough out, it almost pinches you and pushes you into that oncoming traffic lane.

So by putting the lines in there, it's, you know, it's forcing people to to follow the lines. Okay. Just out of my own curiosity, are there like best practices in design that you're following to come to this conclusion or Yeah, there's there's a the national standard uh design manual for highways. Okay. And that's what when these guys do that design, that's what they're following. Okay. We got New York state standards and we also have national stand. Okay. And what we have now is that substandard to what you'd see in those best practice models. Just what it happens a lot. It just evolved over time. Yeah, it's been there a long time.

They update those manuals every so often. So you could have an intersection that, you know, 50 years ago met those standards that no longer meet those standards. That makes sense. Walgreens, right? Things get bolted on over Yeah. Specifically Walgreens. Walgreens is is newer to that intersection probably what 15 years ago, right? Okay, awesome. Okay, I have a couple more questions. Um, the next thing is it seems like necessarily a lot of concrete asphalt is being added. Um, and I saw there is like a little strip of grass.

Mhm. But is there any way to kind of make it maximally aesthetically pleasing? So the reason so much added concrete. Yeah. So the reason we went with concrete in this area particularly in what we call the utility strip. So through here a lot of salt gets put down because it's our main drag. So what happens is is when you have grass the grass doesn't grow because the salt just kills the grass. Um, so we chose to go with concrete here because you're just going to have dirt there all the time.

Um, so the the concrete would be better for water runoff, pushing it into the road, going into the drainage system. Um, so that's really why we we chose that route because it's just it's just going to be dead and it's not. Is there any like stone elements or something that could be incorporated to just shake? So, we could we could do um obviously we'll still have trees in there. So, you'll have the trees with the tree grates

uh like we have on Margar Street. You could do this like a stamp dyed concrete if you wanted so it wasn't all the same color. Kind of break it up a little bit similar to what we did on Margaret Street. Um, those are all kind of different options that we can get into later on once we get into the detailed or the advanced assign plans. Okay. And then you mentioned there was a study about species impact. Yep. So that's all required through New York State. Okay. And was there anything of note in that? There's nothing to note out there. All right. Awesome. That's all my questions. Thank you.

Yeah. Okay. So Cornnea and Broad turning left into Walgreens. That's still going to be in the new revised plan. So if you're coming west on Cornia, correct? Going going west from Cornia, going west from and you want to turn Rod turning into Walgreens. That's still going to be that will still turn. Yeah. Okay. So the what is the what is the turns that are being eliminated? So

yeah, so if you're coming out of Walgreens, you're no longer going to be able to go up and over to Cornelia or straight across to Plasta. Okay. And same coming the other way. Yeah. If you're coming from Plford Plaza, no more going straight across or coming to Broad Street. So if you want to follow and there's there's very few people who make this movement and want to go straight across from plastic at Walgreens, but if they do, they're going to have to turn down Cornia Street, come down to Broad and come around or they could turn and go through Burger King and use use that route if they wanted to. Excellent. Um number two, the big valve is being replaced.

Yeah. So if um if you could go all the way to the west end of the project.

Yeah. Yeah, right there. So, essentially what we have is right here about Church Hill Street, we have a it's called a manifold. So, on the north and south side of Route 3, we have two 24-in water manes that come from our water filtration plant and they come down and then the two of them are connected together. And at that connection, you have four water mains that come off of that, run down Route Three, and then they split at W at Broad in Cornia Street and go down. Those are basically our feeder pipes that feed the city water. So, the valving at that intersection is not great. Um, we had a water line break there a few years ago. Mike and I got onto one of those valves. Uh, you have to turn those valves 512 times to get that to shut off there. It's a It's a bypass valve, so it's it's a huge valve. That's why there's so many turns on it. We got to 80 turns and we could not shut it off anymore. So, what we want to do is we want to uh eliminate that manifold, put a new manifold in so that we have something that if we have an issue, we have a positive way of controlling the water flow. So, that's essentially what we're going to do that intersection for that manifold.

Okay. How old are those lines that were My phone's back there. Uh they're you got one that's from the 70s and some of them are 1920s I believe on the top of my head. And they're still they'll be viable another 20 30 years.

Yeah. I mean the the condition of the pipe um was is fairly good. We actually had a uh a break on one of them. The inside of it looked pretty decent. Um so it was the the hard the hard part with those pipes are because they're older pipes, they're not actually round. They're more of an eggshaped. So everything new is more round. So when you're trying to get them to fit,

you get that pipe diameter 12 in egg shaped pipe. That's just picture. The real big thing is having positive on that manifold. Right now, if you were to have situation, you probably dig that manifold up and put valves in place. The other thing is a 20in pipe water. So, u shut down they shut off. You can shut it off the tank basically option not a good option.

Last one. Um so downstream that the this the um water runoff does it eventually hit a sewer line and go through the waste plant or does it go I would where it's supposed to go? I'd have to go back and look at mapping. I believe that system is separate. Okay. Um but I can verify that and then shoot you any email let you know that for sure. Okay. We're putting all water that would be well right. But then where it's the downream. Yeah. Where it goes down. Yeah. Yeah. There's there's the potential that that could tie into a combined sewer system downream for

that one's going to go the other way though. That doesn't matter towards I think it does. I think that one right. So I'll take I'll take a look now for sure. That's all I got. Any other questions? No. All right. Thanks, guys. Appreciate it. Thank you. Appreciate you. Safe travels. Anybody have questions for tonight's agenda?

I have a question on one of the bills. Did I ask that now? I always ask that I when I ask

No, it doesn't. It's um Mike. Okay. right here, Mike. Mr. Bette, excuse me. Um, the Perry Bridge joint repairs. Yes. So, this is a um purchase order. Yeah. So, what that is, that's a purchase order to balance out the capital project that we had for it. So, we put in a we had an estimate of $200,000 after it's a cost plus uh you know, drop size came in at 210, I think. 319 is what that is for. So we had enough money in the overall road surfacing program to easily cover. Okay. So that's all that's for.

Those were the that was the joints on

that's the expansion. Yeah. Again we we get an estimate from the the contractor develop an estimate. Sometimes a little high low. It just it takes what again we're not got to be sure what uh short of doing is a lump some bids contract. That's Thank you. We can. Thank you. Yeah, let's just say

question. Well, I was going to ask him give us the lowown on South Acres just Andrew just because I don't know what else to think for 15. I like that idea. See, there's two of them there. Um, Jackie, have you been to see Buma? Oh, it's almost it's almost done. Emma, you got a big thing this weekend. Do you want to talk about it? Sure.

Sure, why not? There's been a couple of concerns that people might not be able to hear unless you're at the mic. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, this Saturday holiday parade, um, so we have about 46 entries, um, this year. Is that a lot? Yes. Yes. We actually couldn't fit any more on streak. So, we have to cut it off. There's actually

um more interest than even that. So, we we could have had up to probably like 60 floats really. Um, so maybe we'll figure out a different pathway next year, but um, but yeah, and then we have a couple of pre parade performances on the trailer stage, which will be parked across from the Strand. Uh, so we'll have Encore performing and then center stage dance group. Um, and then the Strand will also be doing some programming inside and then out on their lawn starting at 3 p.m. And the parade starts at 5:30. Cool. Um, so I guess The Strand is having a big concert that night, so I'm just kind of

making sure people are aware about the parking situation. So get there early to get your parking. Yes. Yes. Seriously. Yeah. It's a It's a Dave Matthews tribute band, so they're going to fill that theater. Okay. Excited. Thank you. Thank you. Andrew, you can you give us a rundown on South Acres? What's that? Can you give us a rundown on South Acres?

Yes. So, um, we've got a actually for South Acres, we have a couple things on the agenda. Both of them are very similar. Uh, basically declaring, uh, type two seeker determination for both the proposed botchi ball, uh, grant that we have and the, uh, playground grant. So, both of these grants are kind of in the same phase. We're just doing the last round of paperwork for these to get them submitted. um the playground today. We actually got back the estimate for the playground that we want to put there. Um so that'll get submitted in the paperwork. Hopefully this is the last thing and then they tell us, hey, go ahead and order the uh order the equipment and then we'll get it installed in the spring. Uh Botchi Ball, same thing. Um we're at the same round of paperwork submitting cost estimates and everything for that. So hopefully that'll start in the spring. uh what the seeker review is. Um we don't have to do planning board review or site plan review for these projects because there are parks. So we're not subject to our own regulations for these. Um but the question came up from uh the the grant um reviewer as to whether we had to do a seeker determination for these projects. Um he said he wasn't 100% sure. So I said, "Tell you what, we got a meeting coming up. I'm going to put them on there. We'll do the secret determination because they're going to be a type two which means they have no adverse effect on the environment and then um nothing happens after that. That's that's

so really all you guys are doing is going to be um going with my recommendation to determine these as a type two action for seeker review and that's it. Then I can send them to them and then that's another step in the process completed. So hopefully by summertime we've got a new playground and a new bouncy ball court out there. Awesome. These are both Jasmine brains which Billy Jones prop. Yep. So we can finally tell Billy the uh every time I see him brains.

Yeah. I'll give you kind of a quick update on Bloom uh playground. I don't know if you guys have been up there lately. It's uh just about 90%. They had 100 tons of mulch that they dropped off last week. They were able to spread that. They had 80 tons that were dropped off yesterday and they completely froze and they can't move it with their equipment. So essentially what's going to happen is until we get like our we we tend to get a mid- winter thaw lately. So if we do get that mid- winter thaw, they're going to come back and finish everything. If not, first thing in the spring, they'll be back to get that completed. Um what they've done so far looks great. Um the kids use it someplace slide or something. Yeah, they they probably will. Uh

I went up to the top of it. There's four different slides on it. Um I wasn't about to try to go down it, but yeah, I think the kids have fun on it. It's a nice little sticker. It says test and pay. Yeah. Yeah. I'll wait certify it. Ask me about the uh equipment purchase.

Oh, okay. Yeah, I can certainly talk about that, too. So, uh has done some great work. So essentially what that is um we went out to bid on state contract for basketball, soccer balls, baseballs, um all kinds of different equipment that we can put in our parks. So when we have those attendants that are going to be at the park, kid shows up, wants to play basketball but doesn't have a basketball, we now have that stuff at our parks that we can loan them so they can go out play basketball and then give them back to us. So that purchase order is to buy that type of equipment. Um, we did buy like sidewalk chalk, uh, crayons, markers, stuff like that so we can do activities with the kids in the parks. Um, so we're we're going all in with with this so we can do

Are we able to take donations? If somebody wanted to donate equipment or anything? Um, if they wanted to donate some time, they could too. They wanted to take do an art class in one of the parks next summer, it would be okay. Appreciate it. Okay. If somebody wanted to if folks in the uh if they wanted to they learned how please reach out to me we will we we do have um a a college student who got certified in yoga and hasn't been able to use that certification. So she actually was talking with Bianca about coming in and doing some yoga classes doing like yoga at the beach, yoga at the barfs. Um so that's something that we might be doing as well.

Nice. And actually, I think some of the stuff on that were were yoga mats just for that that purpose. So, how does the parceling out of the equipment work? So, that would be what we're looking to do is put uh temporary laborers at our major parks and then as the kids come, those temporary laborers would be in charge of handling that equipment and making sure that that equipment comes back.

This is great. I mean this is South Acres is the last part. So I mean once that's done um so that'll be done but then we also have Oh Melissa Penfield. So we have a grant application for Melissa Penfield. Um that one is going to be a big one. So that's a million. It's a million and a million. It's a 5050 but that is for an all-inclusive playground which means it's 100% handicap accessible. They can drive wheelchairs all the way around the playground apparatus. Um there's an autistic citizen. Yeah, there's there's that's that's a that's a big deal if we get that grant. So is that the million that we have to contribute? Yes. Can we get supplemental grants?

We are working that's what we're we're looking we can't listen that's the only thing the city has because that's a lot. It's a lot and we we can't afford I mean but we can afford to go out and get stuff. Well, we can also get people that uh some of the we like the rotary might sponsor a section. I see. We can get sponsors for certain sections of this. So, it's not and then the upkeep. I mean, that's one thing we've been really the city's been really bad with upkeep. So, some of these groups could maybe, you know, follow through with the upkeep on this, too. So, that's what we're looking at, too, because uh we can't afford to keep neglecting making the same mistakes over and over.

Yeah. And then we also have a grant application for a new playground at the beach as well. Um because I think that's one of the things that we're missing out on at the beach is is a playground out there. Yeah, we're looking at changing the beach this summer. So I think that's definitely one out there. User friendly. I don't really have a playground in my board. Yeah. Well, you got the nicest beach in America though. Nobody else has it. You don't have playground in the world. That's the biggest freshwater beach in America is worth. Nice vacant lot right next door to your house. I'll take that over slide any day. Right. You got a Yeah, you've got a nice vacant lot right next door to your house. Right. Right. That'd be perfect for

the I don't I think the soil is not. Yeah, because I I know the other the other site on the other side of that I think is a Brownsfield. Yeah. So, I think if we That'd be great. It' be awesome. dog park and have I mean it just possibilities are unlimited. We're looking at putting actually signage up so people know what time our beach closes and bathroom and in French trying to get we have to be better. We have to get better out there. We need a bilingual. Any other questions? No, I think not not being a diving down here but um if you're going to do it just don't do it.

Yes, I am. Um, is there anything with uh the attendance being able to not become a babysitter? That is a huge issue. So that Yeah, that's why I'm bringing it up. I see. Oh, I see what you're saying. So, essentially what we're we're looking not to advertise that we have somebody there full-time, but to say, "Hey, there's going to be this activity taking place at this time." So that when somebody shows up and you know there's even putting like maybe a list of rules to say children can't be left unattended. Please accompany your children.

Yes. We we're looking to do like a familyfriendly thing so that parents can spend time with their children. Um not just hey I'm going to drop my kid off for two hours and and drive away, right? Um that is a that is a very major concern. Uh it happens. You do open gyms at schools, parents just drop their kids off and leave. Um, anybody who is going to be a temporary labor will be CPR and first aid certified. Um, just so if something does happen, we can at least have a first respond before. Yeah. Paramedic, CMS or anybody get there. Um, so that's kind of

we're going to be having um first days CPR training here for stat. We're working out the details right now. As soon as we know, we'll make sure everybody gets anybody to come and join. We're getting we have two ABS to the hall. We have the red boxes we're putting up in our kit. So, we just did a safety studies and we are looking at keeping our employees safe. We're going to take some we're going to we have to invest in make sure our employees are safe as well. The uh the other one that I have on the agenda real quick is the um professional service agreement with Clinton County for the ARF Pro GIS. So the county gives us access to their GIS um program. So basically we we place for a heat to be able to use it throughout the year. Um they forgot to have us do an agreement with them for this year. So it's it's kind of late so we're just kind of buttoning that up for this year. There will be a new one for next year. Um, that one is going to be a little bit more just because now we have uh Emily, our planner, has the capability to actually create in GIS. So, we're going to up the program so she has more capability um so we can create databases uh particularly for like our planning. Um, one thing we'd like to do is redo all of our filing system. It's very hard to find things for any type of project here in the city. Um, so that's one of the big things that I want to want to start working on is redoing our filing system for any type of projects, grant applications, anything. Um, all address based. So you can go to an address, you can click on it, you can see any type of project that's ever been worked on for that piece of property. Um, so that's one of the things we're going to work

with with that road. So that's everything that I have on the agenda. Okay, thanks guys. Thank you. Any other for any of the other um I have a quick department of public works question. Hi. Um I just got um sorry a question from a resident about paving schedule. Okay. Um, I don't know if you have this information, but for W three, um, do you know when the section between Park Avenue and Dennis Avenue is I believe that we have it out for this year for this year?

Yep. Okay, that was awesome. Thank you. Yeah. room. So, Dennis, you have Dennis schedu. Okay. So, for 2026. All right. Cool. Thank you. Yeah. Any other questions for the answer, right? What? Yeah.

All right. Well, we'll call take a quick break and start the meeting. Kathy, you asked it. So, just a question.

So we get we get we get money back 4th 2025 I'll call the common council meetings to order Please rise up in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the fors nation under God indivisible with liberty and of the world. Miss Carlin, did you do the role? Mayor Hughes here. Councelor Bond here. Councelor Evans here. Councelor Strat here. Councelor Talent here. Council Manette here.

Councelor Colleen. Councelor Colleen wanted me to make she had um a family issue today. She wanted to be here and she is here. No, she's not. She's not. No. Okay. But um she apologizes for not being here, but she had family issue, which is there's nothing more important in the world than family. So, she had to take care of that. Resolve that the minutes of the regular meeting of the common council held on November 20th, 2025 are approved and placed on file among the public records of the city clerk's office. Moved by councelor Talon. Second councelor Evans. Roll call. Councelor Vaughn. Yes. Councelor Evans. Yes. Councelor Strat. Yes. Councelor Talon. Yes. Councelor

Manette. Yes. Gary. Anyone here for public comment this evening? With no one here for public comment, we will move on. Council approved payrolls of the various departments of the city of Platsburgh for the week ending November 26th, 2025 in the amount of $661,6154. Council approved the bill by the common council for the weeks ending November 28th, 2025 in the amount of 777,888.33 and December 5th, 2025 in the amount of 1,21,55923.

Any uh reports this evening from libraries? No, nothing. Um, climate task force. Um I just want to say that the Sunni students put on a great presentation on um November 21st right here in city hall and um city climate task force's next gathering will be on the 17th at 5 o'clock at all of Ridley's to kind of celebrate the stuff we've done this year and what we're looking forward to next year. I'll have to second that. That was a great presentation and thank Mr. Gervich to the students. It was absolutely motion to remove item 7.239 from the table. Move by council. Move. Oh, never mind. We don't have to. Wait, what?

You didn't get the email digit. That is for the I was going to say in the work session by MCA. Yeah, we don't have the It got into the attorney's hand, so it took a little longer than we thought. We don't have the physical copy, so we'll we'll we'll address it at the next meeting. Item 7.239 will remain on the table. Yes. Item 7.242 242 authorize award of installation and construction production of well number two. Move by councelor Evans second. Councelor Manette. Any discussion? Roll call. Councelor Bond. Yes. Councelor Evans. Yes. Councilor Strat. Yes. Councelor Talon. Yes. Councilor Manette.

Yes. carried. Item 7.343 resolution declaring the intent of the city of Platsburg common council to act as lead agency proposed action rehabilitation of Corn Street New York Loop 3. Moved by Councelor Evans second. Councelor Manette. Any discussion? Roll call. Councelor Bond. Yes. Councelor Evans. Yes. Councelor Strat. Yes. Councelor Talon. Yes. Councelor. Yes. Gary. Item 7.244. 244 authorize the mayor to sign a professional services agreement with the county of Clinton RC GIS probasic license. Moved by councelor

Evans second. Council man. Any discussion? Roll call. Councelor Bond. Yes. Councelor Evans. Yes. Councelor Strat. Yes. Councelor Talon. Yes. Councelor Manette. Yes. Hear item 7.245. The common council approves a public hearing to be scheduled on December 18th, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. at 41 city hall place in the common council chambers to hear public comments on the submission of a common community development block grant applications for the 2025 program year.

Moved by councilors. I got a I got three hands up. So we'll go Bond and Evans. How's that? Any discussion? Roll call. Councelor Bond, yes. Councelor Evans, yes. Council Strat, yes. Councelor Talon, yes. Council Manette, yes. Item 7.246, common council amends the 2026 mayor's budget. Moved by council man. Second, councelor Bond. Any discussion? Roll call. Council Bond. Yes. Councelor Evans. Yes. Councelor Strat, yes. Council Talon, yes. Council Manette.

Yes. Item 7.247, South Playground replacement type two. Seek of determination. Moved by councelor Bond. Second. Councelor Manette. Any discussion? Roll call. Council Bond. Yes. Councelor Evans. Yes. Council Strat. Yes. Council Tower. Yes. Council Manette. Yes. Item 7.248. South Acres Bachi ball court installation type two seeker determination by councelor Bond second council manette. Any discussion? Roll call. Councelor Bond. Yes. Councelor Evans. Yes. Councelor Strat. Yes. Councelor Talon. Yes. Councelor Manette. Yes.

Car. Any new business come to council this evening? Um holiday parade Saturday night. I hope everybody see everybody there. Maybe on stage again. I think it'd be I This is my favorite parade of the year, won't it? I mean, it just works. When I botchi ball court, I challenge all of you to botchi bomb. I'll take that on. That'd be fun. You will lose. Yeah, it'll be fun. It'll be fun. No, this seems funny talking about botchi bomb parks on the coldest day of the year so far, right? So it kind of warmed me up a little bit talking about things. So with no other business, I'll entertain a motion future. Councelor Bond. Councelor Manette.

Roll call. Councelor Bond. Yes. Council Evans. Yes. Council Stra. Yes. Councelor Talon. Yes. Councelor Manette. Yes. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you. Speaking as a journ invited to. Look at that.