[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6240855,"mediaKeyId","3317702-891f7bc805a68e28319ddce874f39dea","parentId",3317702,"title","Deputy city manager outlines path to community responder program; council asks for gap analysis and timeline","audioSeconds",2504,"startMs",2736000,"endMs",5240000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3317702-891f7bc805a68e28319ddce874f39dea&start=2736&end=5240","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3317702-891f7bc805a68e28319ddce874f39dea/thumbnail_2736000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6240855/New-York/Deputy-city-manager-outlines-path-to-community-responder-program-council-asks-for-gap-analysis-and-timeline","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240855-15b7842b65c7042e0bb57e99082faa7f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775990852&Signature=fPXHv7QOzotok9HmBU~ejUPJYjN9d73MouklXO2OfK5FL~gtfNy9P~RlVPAq66wTJIffUWpa37MmWv-kEpD2~h3PMNmhIycAsybqYU2Y74fkCIzTvkSJJmHGuDVu~amvp6lJpeVEMv1lsOTvbgsaS1aqj4XBVe-H27BdUQoIaWqr6Bc53N21QHb9y61skjaG0BCCCO9fdI-zhnyCNlA0qrvAMSLG0f~pgj0u92Svev84YmjdzHMmV~AtKt0-~4LfM2r~OTS6kRhI00hrS5LBR6wmxjTgnDcJVy2OUkN-6dN42jfrqHwrrGoCi3z~3SuGCeQkaA32L3HW8ad9DIWHqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Ithaca City","date","2025-05-15T11:37:54Z","article","Deputy City Manager Tom presented the city’s work plan for developing a community responder program on May 14, describing three options: enhance existing programs, pilot a small responder team, or implement a larger new responder unit that complements existing emergency-response systems.

Tom told council the proposal builds on years of community engagement and prior work by the Community Justice Center (CJC), Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), the city’s care team, outreach programs and resource hubs. He said staff would convene an “action team” of municipal staff, community organizations, public- and mental‑health partners, people with lived experience and law enforcement to guide implementation.

Tom described the next steps: interview local service providers to create a gap analysis using a spreadsheet of roughly 38 activity measures and roughly 20 local and regional providers; use the results to draft job descriptions, define training and protocols, and select evaluation metrics. He said communities that have implemented similar programs typically started with roughly one responder per 7,000–10,000 residents; a full implementation could include three to four responders plus a dispatch supervisor, while a pilot might be one to two responders.

Council members debated approach and timing. Alderperson Fabrizio urged stronger coordination of existing programs rather than creating new ones; he asked whether a survey could substitute for interviews. Tom said the interviews would probe nuance and that the gap analysis will make clear where new capacity is needed. Alderperson Kumar, Alderperson Kiel and Alderperson Lehi (as other council members) pressed for timely action: Kumar and Kiel said they favored moving more quickly and some members publicly supported a full implementation rather than a minimal pilot.

Deputy city manager Tom said the Community Justice Center would co‑convene the action team and that outreach to advisory groups and people with lived experience would begin as early as June. Tom also laid out evaluation metrics (about 30 data points) to track dispatch patterns, training, service referrals and system impacts.

On resources, staff said $777,000 from previous budgets has been encumbered to support the work and that at least three full-time equivalent (FTE) positions were added in the 2023 budget. Tom said no immediate council vote was requested; he sought feedback and direction on which model council prefers and pledged to return with a gap-analysis memo and a timetable for pilot or implementation options.

Council members asked staff to provide a one-week window for council questions to be compiled and transmitted to planning, and several members said they want interviews (not just surveys) to capture context and lived experience. No formal action or ordinance was adopted at the May 14 meeting; staff will return with the gap analysis and budget estimates.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5/14/25 Common Council Special Topics Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Deputy City Manager Tom presented options May 14 for a community responder program—ranging from enhancing existing services to piloting or fully implementing an unarmed responder team—and asked council for guidance on next steps.","taxTitle","Ithaca City, Tompkins County, New York","taxId",52738,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6240860,"Council tables moratorium on historic-district expansions after debate on grants and impacts",1746,933000,2679000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3317702-891f7bc805a68e28319ddce874f39dea&start=933&end=2679","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3317702-891f7bc805a68e28319ddce874f39dea/thumbnail_933000.jpg","/articles/6240860/New-York/Council-tables-moratorium-on-historic-district-expansions-after-debate-on-grants-and-impacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240860-794098e1463c183f47deff46c7205a37/orig.mp4?Expires=1775990852&Signature=oVNHe3Knxwg9TYEDxY6wE7YJ5lBDSaHRK8lrAcHqZBsDRkEzph12BS2QjE1i4oMYPwnXhJjCU9tdEJ4gq2PVW7wVZNkHtkAh9ShFPNKHv0fevSCE0Y2pIB0DnDfz3AWY8cOujHKgkxg9WpmGCttgaDC6A6qYCn7Dze2Jqrsv-TXRRPpPrz5N6-lvZfNayNQ8wIq8JFA9WHzr71nhU2fsus6iY4OwXd6rULdLUsLroQEv5JcC1F6KPX9d8mTGvcy4Egyb10PlyZEi2D4IfCaPITCeKtF5uL9Yey6ZEf4vqwFI8wRvY8EsDh-3Y4CO8lt7YmBSl9wp3fEs44O7d6zcFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alderperson Letterman introduced an ordinance on May 14 that would place a moratorium—up to five years or until adoption of the city’s next comprehensive plan—on creating new historic districts or expanding existing ones. The ordinance would amend chapters of the City of Ithaca municipal code to impose the moratorium.

The proposal prompted extensive discussion among council members and planning staff about the ordinance’s effects on homeowners, housing production and the city’s eligibility for historic‑preservation grants. Brian McCracken, the city’s preservation planner, told council that passing the moratorium could jeopardize the city’s Certified Local Government (CLG) status, a partnership among the city, the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service that makes certain preservation grants available.

Brian McCracken said loss of CLG status could force the state to rescind the preservation grant funds the city received last year and would prevent the city from certifying tax credits for qualifying local projects. He gave examples: one property owner in the DeWitt Park local historic district sought tax credits to rehabilitate a home; those state tax credits require a National Register designation or state certification. McCracken also said the city staff had been considering CLG-funded consultant work to design a model accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for historic districts; that funding would not be available if the city lost CLG status.

Council members debating the ordinance raised three recurring concerns: (1) the moratorium’s effect on grant eligibility and on property owners who could use tax credits; (2) whether the city’s historic‑preservation process is unduly burdensome for homeowners seeking routine work; and (3) how large historic districts relate to housing goals. Brian McCracken provided data during the discussion: approximately 650 properties are currently in local historic districts (about 10% of the city), and last year staff reviewed roughly 100 building‑permit projects associated with historic‑district properties—77 were processed and approved by staff; 23 went to the Landmark Preservation Commission for review.

Several council members said they wanted comparative data on how historic‑district rules affect housing production and costs before taking a final vote. Others said they support preserving historic landmarks but worry that expanding district designations can increase renovation costs and delay projects. Some council members urged staff to provide a data snapshot and best-practice comparison to inform policy.

Alderperson Kiel moved to table the ordinance to a future committee meeting; Alderperson Letterman seconded a scheduling motion to send the item to a June committee meeting. The motion to table carried; council recorded the outcome as \"That carries ... 7 to 3\" in the meeting minutes. Staff and several council members asked for a week to compile council questions and for planning staff to estimate how long it would take to provide the requested comparative data.

Council did not adopt the moratorium on May 14. Staff warned that a moratorium that removed the city’s authority to designate landmarks or that allowed owner opposition as a legal bar could violate CLG requirements; council members said they would consider narrower drafts that would allow landmark designation while limiting district expansions.

Because the item was tabled, staff will return with additional analysis and answers to council questions before any final ordinance vote.","A proposed five‑year moratorium on the designation or expansion of historic districts was debated at length; staff warned the moratorium could cost the city Certified Local Government (CLG) status and related grants, and council voted to table the ordinance to a future committee meeting pending additional data.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6240865,"Council advances Vision Zero resolution to regular agenda to pursue Safe Streets goals",308,597000,905000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3317702-891f7bc805a68e28319ddce874f39dea&start=597&end=905","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3317702-891f7bc805a68e28319ddce874f39dea/thumbnail_597000.jpg","/articles/6240865/New-York/Council-advances-Vision-Zero-resolution-to-regular-agenda-to-pursue-Safe-Streets-goals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240865-872b6be19904bda7bce91d8cdc9aab58/orig.mp4?Expires=1775990852&Signature=HnrxOpHlAkUBSOBXzFiL86Oqr~GNDRRzXPV5FPJzfJhEPiiu9X8AtInwHPZMoEyzcuUWEdzpZAIhspVVeZsOV4kb3g19LwR82vt~kH6fbDzHHexsLfgh03PTEPrP2ztWVxefIFDKOBuqwwoz5IOWjQg-WGQkLSBZSEgnN-NDpMNC5hpMS4B0oSDvIN~nyVnxA0oSbUwH2u6HHYZx5fMxEFgKrjy0OHRGpXPw618juCoRyKFXVB3WltKjW14dHbWReUeHFix5I5LclTfJn3sGMDKvjL4tkx8gsnHF6VlI681q2np3YCd6huIb2yVoQEFc-LPPWqL6DMWLHW6zpc1AyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alderperson Letterman introduced a resolution on May 14 asking the Ithaca Common Council to adopt Vision Zero goals: eliminate traffic deaths by 2040 and reduce serious traffic injuries by 50% by 2040. The resolution would align the city with Tompkins County’s Safe Streets and Roads for All joint safety action plan.

The measure was sent to the council’s regular agenda for fuller discussion rather than placed on the consent calendar. Alderperson Letterman read the ordinance summary and moved the item; Alderperson Perez seconded. Council voted to move the item off consent and onto the regular agenda; the motion carried 9–0.

Council members asked about implementation details. Several members said they want follow-up from planning and engineering staff on likely projects and timelines. Alderperson Letterman noted the city previously adopted a 25 mph default speed limit in 2022 and said sign changes are underway. The city manager and staff said Natalie (planning staff) could provide more detailed implementation steps if the item is pulled from consent for a full discussion at a future meeting.

Council members also asked how the resolution affects funding eligibility. The city manager noted that adopting Vision Zero-style safety goals is a prerequisite for eligibility for some New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) funding programs. Alderperson Fabrizio asked about pothole repair capacity; the presiding officer ruled the pothole question not germane to the resolution, but staff noted traffic‑calming measures are among projects that become eligible for some grant programs tied to Vision Zero planning.

Council members expressed support for traffic-calming measures in neighborhoods and asked staff to coordinate with the director of engineering and the city manager’s office to triage specific requests. Because council voted to send the resolution to the regular agenda, staff will have an opportunity to bring detailed implementation information and funding options to a future meeting.

No final funding or program decisions were made on May 14; the council’s vote moved the item to a future regular-agenda discussion.","Council voted to move a Vision Zero resolution to the regular agenda for further consideration; the measure would commit the city to a goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2040 and reducing serious injuries by 50% by 2040 and aligns the city with Tompkins County Safe Streets and Roads for All planning.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6240871,"Common Council adopts HUD entitlement action plan; one member recuses",373,214000,587000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3317702-891f7bc805a68e28319ddce874f39dea&start=214&end=587","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3317702-891f7bc805a68e28319ddce874f39dea/thumbnail_214000.jpg","/articles/6240871/New-York/Common-Council-adopts-HUD-entitlement-action-plan-one-member-recuses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240871-7c0084c2d399e4a29e1cc93145365ec9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775990852&Signature=VG6ch-Kf6aIwRWpKoZMbBGPpKLI71nZmWpXyjKv2QET2nUDEQDew5gwpl9I3A~BgEVQR6h2dpwgaaN2Hv-j6iTADXMzuLwcG-G~WJb4Wt0HwSYmW6b9xFueQEQpdaSGhZAozmNySQXnjZVA4uurdHXyY3I2JkVoLkORRAKWsmus4Zhju0GN0LCmyi1jrtMc-5dzS48tUrYV8Os-OFym2J9gAY7fUDAFMyxWk-BtMqxLWiLrdIsf7n0LnSkGmDAi49oeIhwpIzHSSseionQ0T~NfjH7zFcjk~lIDHMGmVpY28xAjMaL6Vx4rydoU3TRrQhK31hC5dUUTbg60nfqm9TQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ithaca Common Council on May 14 adopted the city’s HUD entitlement action plan, a package of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) totaling “just over a million dollars,” and the attached list of recommended projects.

The plan matters because HUD entitlement funds pay for local housing and community development projects that otherwise might not receive city support. The adopted action plan lists funded projects and includes directions for how the city will adjust allocations if HUD awards more or less than expected; staff told council the city received more funding than the draft resolution assumed.

Deputy City Manager Tom explained the HUD-required process: two public hearings, a 30-day public posting of the draft plan, and other citizen-participation steps. Anissa, the city staff member who managed the entitlement process, told council the application closed Jan. 31 and that staff planned to submit the adopted plan to HUD before June 15. She said the plan recommends funding for 17 projects and that five additional applicants (numbered on the matrix as 18, 19, 20, 201 and 202) did not receive awards.

Council members asked about timing and federal delays. Anissa said HUD notifications have been slower this year because of the delayed federal budget and noted the city’s program year begins Aug. 1; she said staff are preparing contingency plans in case federal funds are late. Alderperson Perez said the city should plan for contingencies; Anissa noted the city historically receives funds by the program-year start but did not guarantee timing this year.

Alderperson Win moved the resolution and Alderperson Shapiro seconded it. Alderperson Matos recused because the Southside Community Center is listed as a potential recipient; Matos said the recusal was for that reason. The motion carried, with council recording eight affirmative votes and Matos recused.

The plan does not itself appropriate additional local funding; it identifies how HUD CDBG and HOME dollars will be allocated if HUD completes its award notifications. Staff said they will post the adopted plan for the required public review period and submit it to HUD as required by federal deadlines.

The council’s action completes the local step in the entitlement process; HUD must still finalize allocations. If HUD’s award changes, the resolution instructs staff how to adjust grant distributions and return to council as needed.

Authorities referenced in the meeting included HUD program rules, the citizen participation plan tied to HUD regulations, and the federal CDBG and HOME program authorities. Council materials and staff email exchanges, referenced during the discussion, contain more detail on scoring and the applicant matrix.","The Ithaca Common Council voted to adopt the city’s HUD entitlement action plan, covering CDBG and HOME funds of just over $1 million and a list of recommended projects; one council member recused because a potential grantee is affiliated with their office.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Deputy city manager outlines path to community responder program; council asks for gap analysis and timeline

Council tables moratorium on historic-district expansions after debate on grants and impacts

Council advances Vision Zero resolution to regular agenda to pursue Safe Streets goals

Common Council adopts HUD entitlement action plan; one member recuses