Council reconvenes wrongful‑discharge working group, seeks public forum and staff support after debate over scope and costs

The Ithaca Common Council on Sept. 17 voted to reconvene its wrongful‑discharge and labor protections working group and adopt a legislative memo as the basis for renewed public outreach and analysis. The motion passed as amended; council members added language directing the city manager to identify administrative staff support for the working group and set deadlines for council members to suggest invitees for public forums.

Alderperson Matos, who will chair the reconvened group, said the aim is to gather public input, convene subject‑matter presentations and explore possible legislative approaches rather than to adopt final legislation at this meeting. Matos told colleagues the working group should “get the public engagement” and consult community organizations before writing legislation.

Work‑group backers emphasized urgency and the need for inclusive outreach; critics warned about fiscal implications and potential burdens on small businesses. City Attorney Victor told the council a full commission model would require significant administrative and legal resources: defending determinations in Article 78 proceedings, adjudicating cases, and potentially staffing enforcement work. Victor estimated a full‑scale program could require roughly two additional positions, with costs potentially in the mid‑hundreds of thousands annually depending on scope.

Alderperson Letterman and others said they support the idea of a just‑cause standard but cautioned against committing to a commission model that would require hiring new staff while the city is in a tight budget cycle. Several council members asked for and won amendments that limit today’s action to reconvening the working group, organizing well‑publicized public forums (described in the memo as flexible “public forum” formats rather than formal public hearings), soliciting input from workers and small‑business owners, and coordinating legal and fiscal feasibility reviews with the city attorney and clerk’s offices.

Specific amendments and procedural steps added by the council included: a requirement that interested council members submit suggested invitees to the chair by Oct. 8 and that the chair, in consultation with the mayor and clerk’s office, communicate invitations to enumerated stakeholder groups; and direction that the city manager work with the city attorney’s office to identify one member of staff to provide administrative support to the working group. A separate amendment to have the mayor nominate and the council confirm worker and business representatives as voting members failed.

Council members also debated whether to adopt the memo now or to defer final approval until the October meeting; after discussion the body voted to “accept” (rather than “adopt”) the legislative memo and reconvene the working group with the directed outreach and staff support. The resolution, as amended, passed and the council announced the vote carried unanimously.

Why this matters: The work could lead to local labor protections that affect employers and workers in Ithaca. Council members explicitly asked staff to analyze legal feasibility, fiscal implications (including potential staffing needs), and the risk of state law preemption before any final legislation would be drafted or adopted.