Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees of the Village of Ballston Spa Meeting held July 13, 2026 Present: Mayor Rossi, Trustee Price-Bush, Trustee DuBuque, Trustee Dunkelbarger, Attorney Buettner, Village Administrator Jennifer Moskowitz, Village Clerk Rebecca Little Absent: Trustee VanDeinse-Perez 1) Call to Order 2) Pledge to the Flag-recited prior to zoom recording started Mayor Rossi noted for the record that it was not captured on video. 3) Minutes-June 22nd deferred to the next meeting. Mayor Rossi noted that Clerk Little had completed the minutes but was on vacation and out of fairness to the Board given the late distribution, approval would be held until the next meeting. 4) Presentations-There were no presentations. 5) Public Comment on Agenda Items Only (3 Minutes per Speaker) Liz Kormos 89 Hyde- Agenda Item 7(h), the County RFP response questioned whether any current or former village member planning members held an ownership interest in the Maplewood Manor or other properties referenced in the proposal. Made a comment that on page 9 and section 10 of the document was misleading if the county moves out. Mayor Rossi took a roll call Trustees Price-Bush, Trustee DuBuque and Dunkelbarger each confirmed they and their families held no such interest. Mayor Rossi noted he could not speak definitively for Trustee VanDeinse-Perez but believed her answer was also no. Mike Iacolucci 3 Encore Dr- commented RFP appeared well-researched and effectively argued for retaining county offices in Ballston Spa, and that the cost savings figures, if realistic, would constitute a strong argument for staying, also raised questions about zoning applicability for any proposed construction on the Maplewood site, and asked the Board to carefully consider building development against the residential character concerns expressed by constituents. 6) Consent Agenda Items for Consideration a) Motion made by Trustee Dunkelbarger, seconded by Trustee Price-Bush to approve the following items: i) Water Department be authorized to purchase 10 ProCoder water meters from Ti Sales for the amount of $1,720.00. ii) Eagle Matt Lee Fire purchase 11 smoke Detectors, BW1 Phone module upgrade for phone and test new modem to Mahoney Notify-Plus for the amount of $1,874.10. All Ayes 7) Motions/Resolutions for Consideration/Vote a) Motion made by Trustee Price-Bush, seconded by Trustee DuBuque, allowing DPW to apply for credit with Smith & Loveless Supplier of Colonial Hills Sewer pump station parts and supplies. Approving the Mayor to review and execute the contract for the application once reviewed by the village attorney. All Ayes b) Motion made by Trustee Price-Bush, seconded by Trustee Dunkelbarger, that Brady Miner, Alex Daleo, and Korbin Davies be allowed soliciting permits on behalf of SLIC Network Solutions from 7/14/2026 through 8/2/2026, from the hours of 10:00am until 7:00pm on Monday through Saturday within the Village. A certificate of insurance has been provided. Mayor Rossi thanked SLIC for their expedited work in bringing public Wi-Fi to Roosevelt Park, noting that service to the public is forthcoming. All Ayes c) Motion made by Trustee Dunkelbarger, seconded by Trustee DuBuque, to approve the DPW purchase of $3,515.00 of equipment from Smith Controls, as shown on the attached invoice. All Ayes d) Motion made by Trustee Price-Bush, seconded by Trustee Dunkelbarger, to approve the purchase of a custom leaf box for the DPW dump truck for $9,200.00 from Michael’s Automotive in Ballston Spa. All Ayes e) Motion made by Trustee Price-Bush, seconded by Trustee Dunkelbarger, to approve the purchase of powder coating services for $1,300.00 from Michael’s Automotive in Ballston Spa. All Ayes f) Motion made by Trustee DuBuque, seconded by Trustee Dunkelbarger, approving the hiring of JoAnne Isabella to fill in for Carm Isabella while he is unable to perform his duties related to Kelley Park cleaning. JoAnne will be paid at the same hourly rate as Carm when she performs such work. All Ayes g) Motion made by Trustee Dunkelbarger, seconded by Trustee DuBuque, approving Earth Care to do work removing seven encroaching trees that are affecting the sewer line along the Gordon Creek, not to exceed the cost of $3,100.00. All Ayes h) Motion made by Trustee DuBuque, seconded by Trustee Price-Bush, approving the Village’s attached County RFP response, and authorizing the mayor to execute and submit the RFP. (Note: This will be considered during New Business below.) 8. Mayor's Announcements- July 4th Watch Party: Mayor Rossi thanked everyone involved in the recent watch party event. Traffic Calming Study: Mayor Rossi noted that a traffic calming master plan RFP is underway, with Trustee Dunkelbarger leading the consultant selection process alongside CDTC, CDTA, NYSDOT, and CDRPC representatives. Church Avenue Crosswalks: Mayor Rossi read a formal statement regarding the crosswalks planned for Route 50/67 near Rosewood Court and McMaster Street. The crosswalks had been engineered in collaboration with LaBella Associates and were folded into the state's summer repaving project. When DPW Working Supervisor Scott Kearns noticed the crosswalk work was not occurring, the Village contacted contractor Peckham and then LaBella, who confirmed the crosswalks had been removed from the plans with no explanation. Mayor Rossi escalated immediately to NYSDOT Region 1, and the Rosewood Crossing has since been restored to the project. Mayor Rossi intends to seek a full written accounting from DOT of what occurred and will pass that along once he has a response. Route 50/67 Paving: Peckham Paving is currently underway on Church Avenue from Milton Avenue upward through the V-corners. Monopole — John Street: The physical monopole at the John Street tower site is expected to be installed imminently. Mayor Rossi noted that carrier contract finalization is ongoing. 9. Treasurer's Report - Mayor Rossi reported that revenues year-to-date through June 30 totaled approximately $1,950,000, with major revenues including $1,600,000 in real property tax and nearly $20,000 in gross utilities tax. Water billing meter cards are being processed, with a $50 no- meter-read fee applied to cards received after June 30. Utility bills are anticipated to go out by August 1. Sales tax distribution data was not available in time for the meeting and will be reported at the next meeting. 10. Liaison Reports Trustee Price-Bush reported on upcoming Ballston Area Seniors events, trip August 9 theater trip to the Woodstock Theater for matinee of Crazy For You and July 15 and each third Wednesday of the month afternoon pick’in session from 1:30-3:30pm. Events Task Force Family Fun Day is scheduled for Sunday, August 16, from 3:00–9:00 PM with fireworks at 9:00 PM, and that volunteers are needed. Library programming highlights include Wonderful Wednesday for grades K–6 on July 15 and what life was like during the American Revolution program for grades 2–6 on July 22 from 3-4pm. Trustee DuBuque no official reports but schedules include; Park and Tree on July 21, Historic District Commission on July 29, and Committee on the Arts on August 12. She also announced a save-the-date for an Art Fair planned for August 22, being organized by the Committee on the Arts. Trustee Dunkelbarger reported that DPW completed sidewalk work on the west side of Milton Avenue, rebuilt a pump at the Maple Avenue pumping station with assistance from Saratoga County Sewer, continued crosswalk and striping work, replaced a water main valve on East High Street, replaced bad water meters, begun prep work for upcoming street paving, and helped the Lions Club install a flagpole at Iron Spring Park. Regarding the Traffic Calming Study, three consultants replied to the RFP: CRTC picked a representative from CDTA, NYSDOT, CDRPC and Trustee Dunkelbarger and they are in the process of consultant selection. 11. Old Business a) Updates on Zoning Code, Parking Schedule, DPW Building/Cold Storage, Sidewalk Code, & Consolidated Water District (Milton) Zoning Code: Mayor Rossi confirmed that PDD, ADUs, short-term rentals, and historic district provisions will be addressed as supplements to the base code following adoption. Attorney Buettner confirmed the code is ready for any final board feedback before submission to County Planning. Attorney Buettner noted that County Planning is currently managing 15–16 zoning and moratorium referrals, including many solar and data center moratoria, and that the standard one- month response timeline may be extended. Parking Schedule: Attorney Buettner reported that her office consolidated schedule input from DPW, the police, and the village administrator and have been circulated for review. Several entries require clarification on the specific extents of parking restrictions by street segment. DPW Building/Cold Storage: Mayor Rossi reported ongoing discussions with Malta and with Village Attorney Buettner, who sent a legal position letter to Malta's attorney, Steven Gottman, asserting the village's right to construct a cold storage building as a continuation of prior use. Sidewalk Code: Mayor Rossi noted that work is continuing, with a focus on establishing a loan pool for residents required to repair sidewalks. Consolidated Water District (Milton): Mayor Rossi confirmed that Milton Supervisor Ostrander is fine with the engineers to advance the consolidated water district project. A meeting with Delaware Engineering is expected to be scheduled within the week. 12. New Business County RFP Response (See Motion 7h Above)-Mayor Rossi summarized the village's response to the county's RFP for consolidated office space. The Board discussed the response favorably, with Trustee DuBuque, Trustee Price-Bush and Trustee Dunkelbarger expressing support and agree with the effort to keep them here. Motion made by Trustee DuBuque, seconded by Trustee Price-Bush, approving the Village’s attached County RFP response, and authorizing the mayor to execute and submit the RFP. All Ayes 13. Public Comment on Any Issue (3 Minutes) Ben Baskin via Zoom expressed appreciation for the restoration of the crosswalk project and urged the Board to ensure that when businesses are incorporated into residential zones under the new zoning code, specific operating conditions are included to prevent disruption to residential character, also asked that the corrected setback calculations submitted by the zoning consultant replace the old inaccurate figures. Appreciates the effort to keep the county offices. Ellie Dillon-inquired about DPW cold storage traffic implications, inquired about construction activity near the railroad trestle on Malta Avenue and asked whether a concrete study had been done for keeping the county in the village versus allowing the property to become privately taxable. Mayor Rossi noted the approximate assessed value of the three county parcels in the village is in the range of $20,000,000, acknowledged the trade-off, and explained that any transition period following a potential county departure would require earnest negotiation to protect village interests. Shawn Raymond 7 Chesterwood Ct- glad crosswalks are back in the DOT plans, hopes there will not be last minute language regarding PUDs in the zoning code that is being drafted. Made comments regarding the RFP and the State Farm site, stated if the county does move to State Farm site that the Board of Trustees urge the State to abandon the Buildings to the Village. Liz Kormos 89 Hyde- stated Shawn Raymond made sense, asked if Labella could do an analysis to see long term if it was turned to taxable real estate and keeping the county here is what we want. Made a comment about sidewalk reimbursements and if the mayor will use the “hammer” this time to enforce it. Mike Iacolucci 3 Encore Dr- John Street monopole construction, noted a worker on site indicated traffic management was not their responsibility, and asked the Board to consider including traffic safety provisions in future contractor agreements, also warned that the worker mentioned John Street would need to be fully closed during monopole delivery and asked the village to provide advance notice to residents. Mayor Rossi acknowledged the concern, noted that the project is being executed by AT&T's contractor rather than directly by the village, but agreed that more cooperation from the construction team would be appropriate. Gina Marozzi 10 Old Glory Lane- doesn’t understand why more people were not upset that approved safety features (sidewalks) were removed from a state construction project without explanation, noting she intended to continue investigating the matter independently, commented on the public's apparently mixed signals about the county seat, noting that many prior public comments demanded action to keep the county in Ballston Spa, and expressed confusion that the Board's RFP response was now drawing skepticism. 14. Other Business (Including, but Not Limited to Board Response to Public Comment) Trustee Dunkelbarger no comment Trustee DuBuque stated she was somewhat dismayed by the public comments on the county seat, personally as a historian it is part of our identity, if the County goes, will there be a lot of complaints about commercial development? Not against the back and forth dialogue but concerned with how things are changing. Mayor Rossi addressed the history of the State Farm site discussion at length, noting that the county's consolidation study, originally due in fall 2022, was not seen by the village in completed form until it was attached to the current RFP. He also noted that a referendum would likely be required for any significant county relocation, given the multiple governmental functions involved, and that the village's goal is simply to present a credible, financially sound alternative and let the county evaluate it on the merits. 15. Executive Session (If Needed)- No Executive Session was held. 16. Motion made by Trustee Dunkelbarger, seconded by Trustee Price-Bush, that the Vouchers be audited, and the meeting adjourned at 8:06pm. General Fund $153,298.46 Sewer Fund 384.43 Library Fund 2,426.93 Trust & Agency 635.65 Total $156,745.47 Respectfully Submitted, Rebecca Little, Village Clerk