hi occupiers,
Here is the Rochester agreement:

This Agreement is made this 11th day of November, 2011 by and between the CITY OF ROCHESTER, a municipal corporation with offices at City Hall, 30 Church Street, Rochester, New York 14614 and OCCUPY ROCHESTER.

The City agrees to permit OCCUPY ROCHESTER to use Washington Square Park (“Park”) during all hours subject to the following conditions which are designed to provide for the safety of all persons, preservation of the park, and access to the park by all persons:

1. The right of all persons to use the Park must be respected.
2. No barriers or other obstructions shall be placed in the Park so as to prevent access to all portions of the Park along the sidewalks provided. Park facilities such as benches shall also remain unobstructed and available for use by all person.
3. The park use must be in a “green” manner. Sanitary practices must be followed and all trash generated must be contained and removed or prepared for removal properly. The monuments, trees, grounds and physical features in the park must be respected and not defaced or damaged in any way. Users must facilitate any Park maintenance activities by City employees
4. Overnight tent camping will be allowed only in the grassy area to the south of the central monuments and within the sidewalks. No structures or portable facilities, including portable bathrooms, shall be brought in to the Park, erected or maintained. The use of propane, kerosene or gasoline heaters or generators is not allowed except with permission of the Fire Chief or his designee. No heaters shall be allowed in the tents. Tables reasonably necessary for food preparation and related activities may also be placed to the south of the central monuments, in a manner so as to not block access through the Park. The tables may be protected from the elements only by a tarp or canvas covering or tent.
5. All campers under 18 years old must have the permission of a parent or legal
   guardian.
6. No firearms or other dangerous weapons or fireworks are allowed.
7. No glass bottles or glass containers are allowed.
8. No shovels, axes, saws or spades are allowed.
9. No alcoholic beverages are allowed.
10. No fires are allowed.
11. Signs or banners may be placed in the Park in a manner so as not to obstruct
    access along the sidewalks or prevent ingress or egress along the sides of the Park. The signs and banners shall not be permanently affixed to the trees or other Park features, but may be tied to the rear of a bench, or to the base or main branch of a tree in a manner so as not to harm the tree. Signs and banners may be placed at the steps at the base of the central monuments, but shall not fully block the steps and shall not be placed on the monuments themselves.
12. Use of megaphones or other sound reproduction equipment for communication within the OCCUPY ROCHESTER group is allowed, provided it is nondisruptive to nearby uses or is in accordance with the Noise Code of the City. Concerts may be held with reasonable notice to the City and City approval, which approval shall not be withheld unless reasonable safety, time and noise standards cannot be met.

This agreement shall extend through January 11th, 2012 and shall be renewable for additional periods of two months upon substantial compliance with the terms contained herein and continued safe operation of the Park.

OCCUPY ROCHESTER hereby designates RYAN ACUFF to be its liaison with the City for matters relating to use of the Park under this Agreement. The City shall bring to the attention of the liaison all issues relating to use of the Park and shall attempt to resolve the issues through the liaison.

RALLY at 9 pm Wednesday December 28th at the Park

IN SOLIDARITY with the OCCUPY MOVEMENT and OCCUPY ITHACA -- please come to DeWitt Park (aka Shawn Greenwood Park) at 9 pm on Wednesday, December 28th to discuss the eviction notice. The police gave notice at about 7 pm on December 27th as follows: "Any camping or personal items that are not removed from the Park by 10 pm on December 28, 2011 are subject to removal and disposal by the City. Any person who maintains a tent or camps in DeWitt Park after 10 pm on December 28, 2011, or anyone who is in the Park during its closed hours will be subject to ticketing and/or arrest."

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO OCCUPY ITHACA, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF ITHACA, DEWITT PARK CAMPERS & OTHERS

From the City of Ithaca

This NOTICE is intended for anyone who is camping or living in DeWitt Park, or who remains in the Park during its closed hours (between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am). This NOTICE was mailed and emailed to the contact persons identified by the Occupy Ithaca group, and is being delivered to the Occupy Ithaca encampment on December 27, 2011.

An application from Occupy Ithaca, requesting permission to use DeWitt Park for its activities, was denied by the Superintendent of Public Works on December 9th, and Occupy Ithaca was notified that it must remove tents from the Park. The denial was appealed, and the Board of Public Works will decide on December 28th, whether to reverse the Superintendent’s decision.

This kind of use of City parkland or other public property is not allowed without permission from the City. Under New York State law, parkland must be available to all of the public, for recreational purposes. Ongoing occupation of the Park with tents interferes with the public’s right to enjoy all of the Park.

If the Board of Public Works does not reverse the Superintendent’s denial of Occupy Ithaca’s request to set up and maintain tents and other structures in DeWitt Park, on a continuing, indefinite basis, then such use must be discontinued by 10:00 pm on December 28, 2011, and cannot be re-established in the future, without a prior permit.

Any camping or personal items that are not removed from the Park by 10:00 pm on December 28, 2011, are subject to removal and disposal by the City.

Any person who maintains a tent or camps in DeWitt Park after10:00 pm on December 28, 2011, or who is in the Park during its closed hours, will be subject to ticketing and/or arrest.

=============================================
If you need shelter or other personal assistance, the following agencies may be helpful to you:

• Red Cross Friendship Center

618 W. State/MLK, Jr. Street, Ithaca 273-6684

• Tompkins County Department of Social Services

320 W. State/MLK, Jr. Street, Ithaca 274-5644

• Loaves and Fishes (Free Meals & Advocacy)

210 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca 272-5457

• SPCS Crisisline (24-Hour Free & Confidential Support)

272-1616 or 1-800-273-TALK Call anytime

Saturday, December 24, 2011 from Facebook

Occupy Ithaca UPDATE: A large amount of work and beautification has been done in the park! We fixed the communal tent, moved a few non sleeping tents to the baptist church and cleaned up. Thanks to everyone who helped out! Saturday at 1:21pm

From the Facebook page

Phillip Price

WHOOPS!

"2) The refusal to accept the legitimacy of the existing legal order.

The second principle, obviously, follows from the first. From the very beginning, when we first started holding planning meetings in Tompkins Square Park in New York, organisers knowingly ignored local ordinances that insisted that any gathering of more than 12 people in a public park is illegal without police permission - simply on the grounds that such laws should not exist. On the same grounds, of course, we chose to occupy a park, inspired by examples from the Middle East and southern Europe, on the grounds that, as the public, we should not need permission to occupy public space. This might have been a very minor form of civil disobedience but it was crucial that we began with a commitment to answer only to a moral order, not a legal one."

Article on Occupy Ithaca in 12-23-2011 Ithaca Journal

Ithaca protesters press bid to use DeWitt Park

Occupy representatives appeal application for permit

Written by Liz Lawyer

Ithaca -- Occupy Ithaca protestors will move their camp out of DeWitt Park, but are maintaining their appeal of a city decision to deny their application for a permit to use the park.

Representatives of the month-old camp took their appeal to the Board of Public Works on Wednesday, but left without an answer.

Protestor Phillip Price said the decision of the city's superintendent of public works, Bill Gray, was arbitrary and denies protestors their freedom of speech. Price also said the usual permitting process involves the Building Department and Fire Department, not just the Public Works Department.

"It should not have been left to the superintendent of public works to decide himself," Price said.

Gray said he consulted with the mayor, Common Council, the city attorney and the First Presbyterian Church, which owns the land comprising DeWitt Park.

Another protestor, Josh Dolan, said the group will relocate its tents to the property of the Baptist Church, adjacent to DeWitt Park, but will maintain a "24-hour free-speech zone and information area" within the park. Price said the church's reverend has given permission to use the front lawn.

Holly Hollingsworth, a veteran who chairs the DeWitt Park Restoration Committee, said protestors assured him they will not allow any of their members to climb on or disrespect the memorial, but he has doubts they will be able to maintain control if their numbers grow.

Dan Booth, a former Common Council member, said the city allowed a group of individuals to take over a public place and make it their own, thus undermining the purpose of a city park to serve all members of the community, and has inconsistently enforced the law.

In addition, he said, "Freedom of speech does not guarantee the right to speak anywhere under any conditions."

Several public works commissioners spoke in support of Occupy Ithaca. Board member Bill Goldsmith said he would like to review what other cities have done with their Occupy encampments, namely Buffalo and Rochester, before making a decision.

"I have enormous respect for the superintendent of public works," Goldsmith said. "I am not interested in voting against something he's done, but neither am I interested in quashing the admirable efforts of the occupiers. They have changed the discussion in this country in a way it has long needed to be changed."

The board ran out of time before coming to a conclusion, and no vote was taken. They will meet again Dec. 28.

Latest statement from the City of Ithaca with response from Jennifer Dotson (Common Council)

Thank you for the invitation to your General Assembly meeting today. I think that Seph, Jennifer and I all found it interesting and helpful.

As I noted at that meeting, your group's appeal of the Superintendent's denial of your permit application will be heard at the Board of Public Works meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday), starting at 4:45 pm, on the third floor of City Hall. The item did not appear on the pre-published BPW agenda because you had previously asked the Board not to consider your appeal, and it was not known whether you still wished to pursue it. I understand that Occupy Ithaca has urged its supporters to rally tomorrow and to march to City Hall to attend the meeting. Please be advised that the Board has other business to attend to as well and it is possible that the amount of time available for public statements for and against may be limited.

My other purpose in sending this email is in response to a suggestion posed after the General Assembly meeting. I understood that some participants at the meeting were not aware that the City had suggested several possible (non-parkland) relocation sites for Occupy Ithaca's activities. I request that this email be distributed widely by you, in an attempt to inform your participants and supporters of the City's proposals, before your General Assembly meeting on Thursday evening.

The City cannot agree to tenting at or overnight use of DeWitt Park or any City parkland. Individuals are free to carry on Occupy protest activities during the hours of 5 am to 10 pm. These protest activities can include tabling, assembling, meeting, and speaking out, and might even include the erection of a symbolic tent (if a permit is secured for it), but any such tent would have to be disassembled (or moved to non-parkland) during the park's closed hours.

If the Occupy encampment moves to private or, with a permit or license, to City-owned land that is not parkland, the City could allow symbolic tents overnight (but not living in the tents) and there would be no curfew issue.

An agreement between Occupy Ithaca and the City would be in the form of a license, an agreement which the City enters into regularly, permitting use of the designated land for a specified period of time, and renewable by the BPW. The City would require conditions such as no fires on the premises, provisions for trash removal, no disruption of streets or sidewalks, and safety/sanitary concerns of this nature.

The relocation sites proposed by the City are as follows:

- Triangle of land bordered by Six Mile Creek, Clinton Street, Cayuga Street garage, and the library. This land is owned by the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency and under the control of the City. The Cayuga Green company has an option to purchase the land, for development of apartments. That option expires on December 31, 2011, but is likely to be extended by the City until June 30, 2012. Until the option is exercised (not likely in the next few months, at least), the land remains under City control and can be used as the City decides.

- Area where N. Titus Avenue dead ends into a turn-around space, adjacent to W. Clinton Street and Route 13, just west of the CVS pharmacy.

- Parcel of City-owned land adjacent to one of the entrance drives to the WalMart-Lowe's complex, but it is the southerly entrance, not the northerly one (which is known as Fairgrounds Memorial Parkway). This southerly entrance from Route 13 is also at a traffic light, and approximately across from the Friendly's restaurant (as well as a small brick structure that is a former pumphouse - also owned by the City). The small parcel of land on which the pumphouse is located could also be licensed to your group.

If your appeal is denied on Wednesday night at the BPW meeting, we understand that you have scheduled a General Assembly meeting for Thursday night. We will need to hear from Occupy members whether or not the group is willing to pursue an agreement concerning one of the proposed relocation spots (or an alternative location acceptable to the City) by 5:00 pm on Friday December 23, 2011.

For negotiations between the City and your group to succeed, both sides will need to commit to a continuous, ongoing dialogue (probably primarily by phone and email), up to the point that an agreement is reached. We are requesting that Occupy Ithaca commit to such a dialogue and identify the person who will be the negotiator for your group.

Thank you for your attention and consideration of this matter,

Krin

Jennifer Dotson jdotsonblake@gmail.com	11:13 PM (19 hours ago)
to erooker, joyhines99, phillipaustinp., me, theosocrates, Svante, sephmurtagh

Hi folks,

I'm sure you've noticed that this communication from Krin lays out pretty clearly some terms that the City cannot be flexible with. The attorneys' office is making every preparation that they can to make an agreement with the protest group about using City owned land for a continued protest.

Please let me reiterate that the City IS very interested in working with protestors to come to a solution for the "next phase" of the Occupy protest in Ithaca, a solution that handles the City's issues, about use of parkland, etc. We need to do that very soon, and we need to do that knowing that there is enough "presence" from the Occupy group to (1) make a decision (via the GA or other structure), and (2) carry out anything that is negotiated and agreed to by both "sides."

I've heard pretty clearly from City officials & staff that we absolutely respect the horizontal decisionmaking structure of the Occupy protest, but that things need to be moving through that process more quickly.

I've seen Occupy groups in other cities move beyond conflicts with local governments about 24/7 continuous protests so that local officials & staff (who are, after all, really also part of "the 99%", and frequently protest the same issues as Occupy raises) can work together with protestors on issues that are part of the "root causes" of the inequality in our society.

I'm open to conversation about this in the next day or so. Please reach out if there's anything you want to talk about.

Thanks,

Jennifer

P.S. Svante & I sat down with the police chiefs a few days ago to discuss their approach to nonviolent protestors (should any interaction happen) and how that approach can be communicated to the public. I expect you'll be seeing something from one of us very soon about that. So you are clear, in short, both Svante & I were comfortable about the way IPD would plan to approach protestors who are not violent.

Our Occupation & City Officials Response So Far

We came. They saw. We dialogued :)



The Mayor hand delivered a permit application. We obliged her and filed it.
We then met with the City in order to reach solutions for our encampment in cooperation with the City.



Having no time constraints on approving or denying the permit application that Mayor Carolyn Peterson hand delivered to us, personally - the City flatly denied it. They then, admitted they had no sincere intention of considering it in the first place.



They have asked us about our willingness to negotiate.
On almost every issue they raise, our answer has been, "Yes, we can negotiate on that."
We have asked them to put something on the table... anything... anything at all...
...we're still waiting.


UPDATE:
CLICK HERE for documents

D15 - BILL OF RIGHTS DAY - Direct Action

You CAN Help Us & We Need You Now

Text "@occupyithacahub" to 23559 in order to receive our:

1.) EMERGENCY RESPONSE communications, and
2.) updates on General Assemblies and Direct Actions

- Keep your video cameras (cell phone cameras) charged and ready to record.
- Be ready to show up in solidarity and as a witness, should we require immediate support.

Whether or not you are able to join us daily or nightly in the park, you can help by showing your support!

• Contact the Mayor, the Police Department and other relevant city officials - and let them know that you support this movement! Let them know that you will not stand for the city disallowing our rights to peaceful public assembly and speech.

• Superintendent of Public Works, Bill Gray told the Ithaca Journal that he has 'put us on notice'. Help us put him on notice - that our constitutionally protected rights WILL NOT be violated in your city!

Bill Gray's contact info can be found by clicking on his name (above).
For the contact info of each of the city officials and departments mentioned here - click on them (above).

Your support is invaluable.  

We need you now.

For more info, click here!

Lend a hand.

Are Ithaca City Officials Double-Speaking Occupiers?

Almost 3 weeks ago, Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson came to our occupation with an application for a permit and spoke with us for a little while. She was kind and courteous. She seemed to genuinely understand our cause and our purpose. We obliged by filing an official application for a permit and extended our intentions toward the city - to work as a cooperative effort - rather than to allow for the contentious situations we have seen from other city administrations around the country - other, less socially conscious administrations. We have since worked in the true spirit of good faith with city officials and employees.

Our initial application, the city seemed to suggest, was too cumbersome. In good faith, we revised our application to be more simple and, we believed, much easier to accept; we simply asked to be allowed without obstruction, in the public space of DeWitt Park in order to protest while respecting all other citizen's rights to use of the park as well.

Earlier this week, we met with Mayor Carolyn Peterson, City Attorney Dan Hoffman, Superintendant of Public Works Bill Gray (responsible for permitting), City Clerk Julie Conley Holcomb and another city employee.

We discussed most facets of our protest, including our chosen section of the park being the part of the park with the least grass, our intention and ability to repair any damages to what little grass was there, our total lack of obstruction to the general public who use the park. The mayor made hypothetical suggestions, as did we, about how we might come to terms in a cooperative effort. Every impression was given, by the city, that we would continue to dialogue until we were able to come to terms. Toward the end of the meeting, the mayor specifically mentioned that the city would likely present us with suggestions or proposals, moving forward - and that, that would be our next step in this process.

"Though the meeting seemed to be productive and congenial, for some reason on the way out, the city officials seemed in a hurry to leave the conference room without shaking any of our hands" noted one attendee.

Today our permit was flatly denied.
This was not the manner of 'next step' communications we were led to expect.
Nor is this the kind of good faith action that one would expect, while attempting complete cooperation.

Separate sources indicate city intentions to forcibly evict us.
Time will tell whether that happens, and if so, how it plays out.
In the meantime, show your support for our efforts.
Be involved.

If you support the Occupy Movement, then support us here in Ithaca!
Let these city officials know that you stand with us - and that you will stand up for us.
Urge them to work with us to create cooperative solutions, which allow the people their rights to free speech and assembly. We have worked in good faith with the city. Demand that they work in good faith with us.

Let them know that if they arrest the freedom of one of us for engaging in speech & assembly, then they arrest the freedom of all of us!

Contact Mayor: Carolyn K. Peterson

Fourth Floor

City Hall
108 East Green Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

Executive Assistant to the Mayor: Annie Sherman
Phone: (607) 274-6501
Fax: (607) 274-6526
e-mail: asherman@cityofithaca.org

Ithaca Police Department
Non-Emergency Police Assistance: (607)272-3245
Police Headquarters: (607) 272-9973 

City Attorney Dan Hoffman's Office

Phone: (607) 274-6504
Fax: (607) 274-6507

e-mail: attorney@cityofithaca.org

City Prosecutor

call: 607-273-1957
email: cp@cityofithaca.org

City Clerk

Julie Conley Holcomb 

First Floor, City Hall
108 East Green Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone: (607) 274-6570

Fax: (607) 274-6432
Email: julieh@cityofithaca.org

Superintendant of Public Works

(RESPONSIBLE FOR PERMITTING)
William J. Gray, P.E. 
Second Floor of City Hall
108 East Green Street Room 202
Ithaca, NY 14850  
Phone: (607) 274-6527
Fax: (607) 274-6587
Email: Superintendent's Office

When Our Land & Water Are Under Attack, What Do We Do? STAND UP - FIGHT BACK!

Governor Andrew Cuomo may have personally profited from campaign money given to him by those who aim to exploit New York's resources at the reckless detriment of our land and water, but we will not comply with the poisoning of our people. We will fight back.

"We will stop every truck at the border and we will blockade every road into this state if we have to!"

There are over-dramatic, cartoons and comic book evil villain stories that look like our current reality regarding FRACKING (hydraulic fracturing for natural gas drilling). Giant energy companies are literally poisoning the land and water of our communities - for a financial profit. The documentary "Gasland" has brought the truth to light. The ever-growing stories of those who have already fallen prey to, and suffered the ramifications of dealing with these energy company super-villains are also helping to expose the dangerous truth about hydro-fracking.

Currently, the Town of Dryden is under legal attack by Anschutz, an energy company who holds drilling leases on properties throughout the town. The Town of Dryden, the hero of this story, has banned this poisonous industry in an effort to protect it's citizens, it's land and it's water.

Banning hydro-fracking state-wide however, will be the only way to protect New York State residents from these toxic drilling practices, as our air and our water are not confined by town borders. As long as we have a governor who has accepted campaign money from these toxic companies who aim to poison our land and our people for financial gains, we must be vigilant and without relent. We must be aware of who stands on the side of the people and who stands to exploit our great state, at the expense of our health and safety.
We must fight.

When our land and water are under attack, what do we do?
STAND UP - FIGHT BACK!

We have only just begun.
We will not allow profiteers or their puppet-politicians to poison our communities.
We Will Not Allow It.

What Have We Been Up To?

If you've passed DeWitt Park over the past week or two, you might have noticed something.
We are occupying.

What started with about 7 tents the Monday before last, has now grown to about 17.
We have a "Hospitality Table" as well, with plenty of information and - for as long as we can keep them in stock - hard copies of the newly launched Occupied Ithaca Journal.

The immediate local business community has been wonderfully accommodating - helping to keep us warm, fed and equipped for the long hard task in front of us. We are grateful for all of our donors, but it is especially nice to be so warmly welcomed by our own downtown business and resident neighbors.

 

2nd day of the Occupy Ithaca encampment.

The official "Occupy Ithaca - Declaration of the Occupation" has been published,
and is hosted online by the Occupied Ithaca Journal. 

So, why now? Why take to the park in Ithaca more than 2 months since the start of the movement?
Because the time was right. 

Since very early on, Ithacans had been supporting the greater Occupy Movement from it's fledgling stages, right on through to it's global networking. As a more socially-conscious city than most, and with plenty of activists ready to stand up for what we believe in - in a call for social justice worldwide, targeting at the core of global social and economic corruption, Wall Street - it seemed obvious early on that our resources were best spent on helping OWS (Occupy Wall Street) to hold it's ground and Occupy Together to help spread the message. Carpools and ride-shares brought our people-power resources to where they were needed most, helping to ensure the longevity and stability of the greater movement. Once the N17 International Day of Action proved the worldwide success of the movement in terms not only of that longevity and stability, but also the enormous growth of the movement, it was clear to Occupy Ithaca that our resources could safely be directed more toward local actions, here at home. 

We have had many visitors since setting up our round-the-clock public protest.

• Mayor Carolyn Peterson came by to chat with us on day one, and to personally deliver a permit application, requesting that we file it with the city. We did. 
• Ithaca's Finest visit regularly and help to keep us company in the late hours, when company is harder for us to come by. 
• Mayor Elect, Svante Myrick has been by more than once to check in, and to join us in discussions.
• Your friends and neighbors are dropping by regularly to get some direct information on the Occupy Movement, from the source rather than from sensationalist "news" media.

Everyone has been warm and congenial.

If you haven't joined us for discussion yet, please do.
You may not yet understand our movement if your only source of information has been corporate news media, but we are eager for all who are curious to drop by for some direct, sincere, and long overdue dialogue about how we can make our world a better place.