City Council

CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2000 CITY COUNCIL ROOM 7:00 P.M. PRESENT: Thomas Curley, Commissioner, Public Safety Kenneth Klotz, Mayor Michael Lenz, Commissioner, Finance Bernard Mirling, Commissioner, Accounts Thomas McTygue, Commissioner, Public Works ALSO PRESENT: Phillip Klein, Board of Supervisors Representative Anthony Scirocco, Board of Supervisors Representative STAFF PRESENT: Christine Gillmett-Brown, Deputy Commissioner, Finance Carol Kennedy, Deputy Commissioner, Accounts Robert King, Deputy Commissioner, Public Safety William McTygue, Deputy Commissioner, Public Works Jeffrey Wait, City Attorney PUBLIC HEARING - COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVISIONS Mayor Kenneth Klotz said this was a public hearing on a set of proposed amendments to the 1999 Comprehensive Plan. He said this set of amendments from the Comprehensive Plan Review committee updated the document and gives it some added focus. He said prior to sending these amendment to the Council, the committee held its own public hearing on September 14, 2000. The record of that hearing and the Committee’s responses to those comments presented at that meeting have been transmitted to the Council. He said the required advisory opinion from the Saratoga County Planning Board is still pending although preliminary comments were received and distributed to the Council. He said a vote on these amendments is scheduled for November 21. Mayor Kenneth Klotz opened the public hearing. Jeff Pfeil, Chair of the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, said minor revisions have been made to the plan including the establishment of a country overlay area, changing the impact areas to development areas and the addition of more detail. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if the Comprehensive Plan Committee had circulated, to Commissioners, the responses to the items that were brought up during their public hearing. Jeff Pfeil said yes. He said they had addressed all of the public comments. Page 1 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Lew Benton, 29 Thoroughbred Drive, submitted written comments to the Council. He said there were a number of housekeeping items that need to be addressed, i.e., financial information. He said in the 1999 plan, financial information was presented at the beginning of the plan. He said fundamental to that process was the effort to encourage revenue producing development. He said the City needs revenue producing development but not taxing on the government. He suggested the language that suggests that the sales tax formula be abandoned not be included. He said his only other comment was that the information in connection with the SSTAR program should be included under the transportation section. He said the Council needs to prepare, adopt and implement a strategic truck enforcement program. He said there should also be a second policy statement asking the council to formally petition the state for the balance of the grant to be dedicated to truck enforcement and weigh station issues. He said there is some misunderstanding on the use of the balance. He said that request to the state must be done before the state takes the funding away. He said that project should be given status in the capital budget. Commissioner Michael Lenz said it was a good idea to try to get the grant funds reprogrammed to allow the purchase of land. He suggested that Commissioner Thomas Curley submit a formal resolution to the Council supporting that recommendation. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he had written a letter to Senator Bruno on this subject and Senator Bruno’s office replied that was not the intent of those funds. He said he had no problem in drafting a resolution. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked what the deadline might be for reprogramming these funds. Lew Benton said he was not sure, however, the state’s fiscal year ends in March. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said it was his understanding that of the half million dollars allocated for this program $300,000 was for property acquisition for a bypass. He said perhaps the City could make the argument that we have determined that enforcement was the best route rather than constructing a bypass. Phil Bernard, Caroline Street, said he was concerned about historic demolition in connection with the comprehensive plan. He said it was his feeling that the Hotel Honig was restorable at one time. He said the City’s demolition ordinance needs to be reviewed. He pointed out that there is a property on Lake Avenue that is in the midst of demolition. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would take his comments under consideration. He said though the City has a Community Renewal Committee and their job is to identify properties that can be restored. Geoff Bornemann said the demolition ordinance was strengthened after the Hotel Honig issue. Alayne Ball, Director Open Space Project, said they were pleased with this document. She said they worked hard with the 1999 committee but that document fell short on including the open space heritage plan. She said this time it was included. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked what would the Council do about Lew Benton’s recommendations. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would like to take time to review everything and perhaps it could be placed on the November 21 agenda for discussion and voting. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Kenneth Klotz closed the public hearing for this evening and said it would be reopened at the next Council meeting on November 21. Page 2 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Kenneth Klotz called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR Mayor Kenneth Klotz said that John Irving and Tim Brown, Recreation Commission, had requested the Privilege of the Floor, however, they did not appear. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Proposed Sewer Rates Saratoga County District 1 Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he had an opportunity to appear before the Saratoga County Sewer District during their public hearing to present the City’s concerns on the proposed 21 percent rate increase. He said due in great part to the joint efforts of Bill Ennis, Peter Crowley, Phil Klein, Skip Scirocco and Council members it was a good meeting. Commissioner Michael Lenz said the recent news article did not accurately portray his reasons for not signing the letter of support that other commissioners had signed. He said he had submitted a letter to the County Board of Supervisors questioning whether the rate increase was related to the growth outside the original sewer district or the methodology used in calculating the rates. He said he did not support the increase in rates or the methodology being used to calculate the numbers. Commissioner Michael Lenz then read his letter into the record: Dear Supervisors: Recently a letter was sent to you by the Saratoga Springs City Council opposing the sewer rate increases for our City. While I strongly support the spirit of this letter and oppose the rate increase as proposed, I am not yet convinced that the rate increase is related to growth outside the original sewer district as stated in the letter. After discussions with our representatives on the sewer commission, it appears that the rate increase is more likely related to the methodology used in calculating the rates, which clearly appears to negatively effect Saratoga Springs. It is my hope that the Board of Supervisors will not support this rate increase as recommended by the sewer commission and that efforts will continue to be made to determine a methodology that is more equitable for all involved. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he has been working on this issue for quite some time. He said he was sorry that Commissioner Michael Lenz did not come to him for clarification on his concerns. He said he has all of the data and has done all of the research. Page 3 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Bill Ennis and Peter Crowley, Saratoga Springs representatives to the Saratoga County Sewer Commission, appeared before the Council. Bill Ennis explained that sewer rates are based on previous years flow/measuring unit. He said last year the amount was $1.4 million and for 2001 the base line will be $1.6 million. He explained that in 1996 the County removed the inflow and infiltration and gave the City 20 percent credit. He said a few years later the County then changed their methodology for billing by going from a measured unit to an arbitrary measure. He said the City averaged 258 gpd per unit, however, the County had been using the figure of 200 gallons. He said the County now wants to change the credit and take it all away which would take the City’s bill to $2.1 million. Bill Ennis said through these negotiations, the County and the City have come to a reasonable compromise. He said when the proposal initially came out there was a 10 percent increase for the City. He said there was a proposal that the two cities would pick up 50 percent of the increase and the towns would pickup the other 50 percent but that has since been recalculated. He said they have arrived at a one year deal in that the City will pay $1.7 million rather than $1.8 million. He said that there needs to be some serious thought given to formulating a strategy for 2002 which needs to be done by May. He said that next year’s base line will be $2.1 million. Bill Ennis said he hoped the Council realized that these negotiations were successful due in part to the cooperation received from the Town of Wilton. He said the City should show some good faith with the Town of Wilton and work on a reasonable efforts for the street opening permit they require within City limits. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said there was a major inequity with the sewer rates. He pointed out that in the Town of Wilton there was a 40 percent decrease while there was a 20 percent increase in the City in the rates. He further noted that the City represents 31 percent of the sewer district. He said the proposed increase to the City was equivalent to 3,000 units. He pointed out that there are sewer flows from the Town of Wilton which are not metered. He said that line is surcharged by the county at 700,000 gallons per day. Mayor Kenneth Klotz thanked all of those who participated in the joint venture for their efforts at succeeding in lowering the rate somewhat this year. He said there is still an increase to the City but lower than initial projections. Bill Ennis said the methodology used by the County is based on the 3,000 domestic units and not flow. He said they strongly disagree with that methodology. Bill Ennis said the real issue now was the base line numbers to be used next year. He said that next year the base line will be $2.1 million. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said this is the only community that has eliminated its I&I. He said the City has reduced its flow but our rates have increased. He said the City is simply asking that all communities be metered, however, the County says that would be too costly. Page 4 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Peter Crowley said the estimate of $1 million for metering was a number that he arrived at based on the cost to the county for metering. He agreed that all of the communities should be metered and they were working with the communities and the sewer commission on that issue. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he did not want the sewer commission or the surrounding communities to get the impression that the City as ungrateful for this compromise. He said there had been some significant discussion and he wanted the surrounding communities to know that the City is appreciative of their efforts on this matter. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said he appreciates the efforts of everyone involved in this project. He suggested that perhaps a workshop be held to better inform the Council members on this issue. He said the Council could be for supportive and helpful to the sewer commissioners if they understood the areas of concern. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said if Commissioner Bernard Mirling wanted a workshop, he should schedule one. Commissioner Bernard Mirling agreed. MAYOR’S OFFICE Report -- Sister City Committee Mayor Kenneth Klotz introduced Laura Chodos and Kate Graney of the Sister City Committee. Laura Chodos said Chekhov is quite similar to Saratoga Springs with excellent schools and mineral waters. She said she has had nine years of experience in the Sister Cities program. She said over the last nine years her husband had chaired the health committee and she the educational opportunities committee. She said this program is a good opportunity for Saratoga Springs. She said she recently visited Chekhov and it is a wonderful City. Kate Graney submitted a letter to the Mayor from the Mayor of Chekhov. She said they have an interesting economy and have corporations such as Dannon Yogurt and Alcoa Plastics. She said educational and cultural exchanges would be good for both cities. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked what was the population of Chekhov. Kate Graney said about 93,000. Mayor Kenneth Klotz thanked them for their presentation. United Way -- Announcement Mayor Kenneth Klotz said it is that time of the year again for the United Way campaign. He said that Joanne Buchas, United Way representative, would be talking to the departments individually on this matter. He said the drive would start the first week in December and he would come back with more information at that time. Page 5 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 NAACP Fundraiser -- Announcement Mayor Kenneth Klotz noted that the NAACP would hold a fundraiser on November 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn. He said the guest speaker would be Carl McCall. Route 50 Lighting Project -- Authorization to Sign Mayor Kenneth Klotz withdrew this item from discussion. Proclamation -- National French Week Mayor Kenneth Klotz announced that National French Week would take place later this month and at the request of the school department he would sign a proclamation. Getty Oil -- Report (Broadway & Ballston Avenue) Jeffrey Wait, City Attorney, said a remediation program was underway at this former gas station. He said they have drilled holes, injected materials and will do quarterly testing. He said apparently all of the contamination is on site. He said the City should not try to purchase this parcel until the remediation is complete. He said the owner of the parcel is not cooperating with DEC on the remediation process and DEC will try at a later date to recoup those funds. He said, though, the City could explore ways to force the owner to remove the structure and/or clean up the site or it might be possible for the City to do the work and recoup the funds at a later time. Commissioner Thomas Curley asked how long this parcel has been vacant. Fire Chief Bob Cogan said about two years. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said his department has worked with the owner on a previous occasion to clean up the parcel and the owner submitted $1,000 to the City to do that work. Commissioner Thomas McTygue suggested that the City wait to get a report on the clean up issues before deciding what to do. Jeff Wait said DEC will make periodic visits to this parcel over the next year. He said he thought the entire cost of the cleanup was less than $20,000. Saratoga Partnership for Prevention -- Report Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the recent report by the Saratoga Partnership for Prevention concerning drinking and drug use in the community was somewhat disturbing. He said both the Council and the community should be aware of this report. He said information such as this demands our attention. Easement Requests -- Approve Tony Izzo said information had been distributed to Council members on three easement requests (Darrow, Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation and Church Street Dogs, LLC.) He said all of Page 6 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 these requests were minor (under five feet) and have been in existence for many years. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve these easement requests and to authorize the Mayor to sign all necessary documents. Ayes all. Broker of Record -- Confirmation of Approval by memo (00-220) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to confirm the recent approval by memo for the Broker of Record. Commissioner Michael Lenz said this has been an issue that has been on the table since January when Mayor Kenneth Klotz took office. He reminded Mayor Kenneth Klotz that the initial projections for health insurance costs were just that -- initial projections. He said those numbers have since decreased to $79,848 which is the lowest increase in three years. He said it was an odd contention that the existing company should be replaced because of the increase and wondered whether the Mayor should be replaced because of his proposed increase of more than $400,000 in his budget. Commissioner Michael Lenz said the numbers from the health insurance companies are not discretionary. He said the broker has no influence over the premium costs/increases. He said the broker can bring another health insurance company to the City, but other than that has no influence. He reminded Council members that letters had been received from the health insurance companies stating that because they are community-based programs the rates are not negotiable. Commissioner Michael Lenz said that in 1996, then Commissioner Kenneth Klotz appointed a broker of record, without Council approval, it was his right. He said when he became Finance Commissioner, he formed a committee, reviewed proposals, selected a firm and then sought Council approval. He said now another precedent was being set in that a Council member from another office is making a recommendation on who the Finance Department should work with. He said it appears now that any Commissioner may make any recommendation that could ultimately be forced on another department. He said health insurance is administered by his office. He pointed out that the Accounts Department administers insurance, as so stated in the charter, and he did not feel that it would be appropriate for him to make a recommendation on the appointment of a risk manager. Commissioner Michael Lenz said on March 3, 1998,the Council approved Wise Insurance as the broker of record. He said the bottom line is that health insurance is clearly administered by his department, he has an employee who handles this program and now the Council is apparently ready to say that they do not want the existing broker and now want to hire someone else. He again stated that the broker has nothing to do with rates. He said it appears that is simply a case of the democrat majority imposing their will. He reminded Council members that very recently Mayor Page 7 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Kenneth Klotz said it was not his job to go into other departments and tell them what to do. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said there is nothing in the charter or state law on this matter. He said procurement issues clearly belong in his department and in the absence of clear line of authority it is up to the Council. He said perhaps the Charter Commission could be helpful in this area by providing some clarity. Commissioner Michael Lenz said health insurance is handled in his department. He said Mayor Kenneth Klotz has never come to him on this matter. He questioned why Mayor Kenneth Klotz could not accept that he wanted to work with a broker he is comfortable with. Mayor Kenneth Klotz distributed to Council members the figures for health insurance for last five years. He pointed out that in 1996 the cost went down with the broker of record that he appointed. He said when Commissioner Michael Lenz appointed a new broker of record the costs went up. He said he was pleased to learn that the rates would go up only $79,000 this year. He said he had Commissioner Bernard Mirling look into the issue of procuring a broker of record and it is Commissioner Bernard Mirling’s recommendation that in absence of a line of authority it falls under the Council. Commissioner Thomas Curley pointed out that during the years when the cost went down, there was also a major concession by the unions in eliminating the most costly health insurance company. He said those costs went down because of contract negotiations and not because of the broker. He said it was his feeling that this had nothing to do with saving money but rather was simply a way of stripping control from one Commissioner’s office. Commissioner Michael Lenz said it was important to note that these increases were due to contractual obligations. He said if Blue Chip had been the broker of record during that time, the increases would still have been the same. He reminded Council members that CHP went out of business during those years, forcing many employees to switch to a more costly plan. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked about other plans. Commissioner Michael Lenz said much is dictated through the union contract. Commissioner Michael Lenz said when Mayor Kenneth Klotz was Commissioner of Finance it was his right to appoint an individual that he felt comfortable with. He said this issue clearly falls under his department. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he was simply making a recommendation for a firm with a good track record. Commissioner Michael Lenz said it was clear to him that the Mayor was simply imposing a firm on him that he did not want to work with. Ayes: three; Nays: two (Commissioners Michael Lenz and Thomas Curley). Motion carried. Cefalu Project -- Confirmation of Previous Approval by memo (00-221) Page 8 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to confirm the previous approval by memo to hire Jeffrey Wait, City Attorney, to work on the City’s behalf on this matter. Commissioner Michael Lenz said this too was a very clear issue. He commended the Council for their efforts on this project. He said the recent demolition should not have occurred and he was confident that the judge would agree with the City. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the most recent ruling was for renovation and not demolition. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked what the time and cost might be. Jeff Wait said he had spent between 25 to 30 hours so far on paper work. He said depending on how the judge rules will determine how much more time he must spend on this issue. He said there will likely be appeals. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked where these funds would come from. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he was not yet sure. Ayes all. Executive Session Mayor Kenneth Klotz requested and executive session. Shelters of Saratoga -- Bill for Legal Services Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to pay the final invoice to Maynard, O’Connor, Smith and Catalano in the amount of $1,083.30 in connection with the Shelters of Saratoga case. Ayes all. Commissioner Michael Lenz said the Council should consider establishing a line item to cover these types of costs. Appointments (00-222) Mayor Kenneth Klotz appointed the founding individuals to the Historic Preservation Planning Committee: Terry Lowenthal, James Parillo, Brook Hobson, Dennis DeJonghe, John Witt, two Design Review Commission members and one Downtown Business Association member. He also appointed Nancy Lester to the Spring Run Trail committee. Code Enforcement Officer Mayor Kenneth Klotz said that he gets many questions from the public on code enforcement issues. He asked Commissioner Thomas Curley what was the status of hiring an additional code enforcement officer. Page 9 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Commissioner Thomas Curley said he had planned to make an announcement on this issue in December. He asked Mayor Kenneth Klotz to give him the names of individuals that claim that no action had been taken by Kevin Veitch on their concerns. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would provide those names. Commissioner Thomas Curley said the inference by Mayor Kenneth Klotz is that the code enforcement officer is not doing his job. He said he was aware that Mayor Kenneth Klotz had one conversation with Kevin Veitch on an issue but was not aware of any other conversation or issues that needed attention. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he had the feeling that there may not really have been as many issues as Mayor Kenneth Klotz was making it out to be. He said he was willing to work with the Mayor. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there appeared to be a need for additional staff and asked if it was Commissioner Thomas Curley’s intention to hire an individual this year. Commissioner Thomas Curley said the year is not over yet. He said he has been following Civil Service regulations throughout this process and he needs to hire from a certified list. He said he is now in the process of interviewing individuals. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said it was his understanding there was a problem with the work load. Commissioner Thomas Curley said Kevin Veitch does a good job, however, there is a high volume of work in his office. Commissioner Bernard Mirling asked how this new individual would help out. Commissioner Thomas Curley said violations was an area that they could become more aggressive in. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked exactly what was the issue here. He said it seems as though this is a Department of Public Safety issue, that Commissioner Thomas Curley appeared to be following the civil service rules, is about to conduct the interviews and so wondered what was the issue. Commissioner Thomas Curley said if Mayor Kenneth Klotz would give him the names of the individuals who had concerns that they felt they were not addressed and he would see they were. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would make sure that Commissioner Thomas Curley was kept informed of these issues and would direct all of these calls to Public Safety. Salvation Army Day Mayor Kenneth Klotz informed the Council that November 17 was Salvation Army Day and he would issue a proclamation. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Approval of October 17 Meeting minutes Page 10 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the October 17 meeting minutes. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would like some clarification on an issue. It was agreed that this motion was withdrawn for further clarification. Commissioners of Deeds Commissioner Bernard Mirling announced the appointment of the following individuals as Commissioners of Deed with a term of two years: Linda DeRusso, Jason Tetu and Robert Wilson. ANW Holding -- Set Public Hearing Commissioner Bernard Mirling said the Council had received from the Planning Board a favorable advisory opinion on the petition submitted by ANW Holding, Inc. to rezone approximately three acres of land at the intersection of Greenfield Avenue and Granite Street from UR-1 to UR-3. He asked that a public hearing be set for the proposed zoning map amendment for Tuesday, December 5, 2000 at 6:45 p.m. Council members agreed. Elections Commissioner Bernard Mirling said election day was busy but also successful. He said the polling places were busier than ususal with a good turnout. He said as a result of the additional training offered this year, everything went quite smoothly. Award of Bid -- Asbestos Removal Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works, Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to award the bid for asbestos removal at the former Saratoga Springs Public Library building to Reindeer Environmental in the amount of $4,900. Ayes all. Extension of Bid -- Poly Bags Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works, Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to extend the contract with All American Poly for plastic bags under the same terms and conditions. Ayes all. FINANCE OFFICE Broker of Record -- Previously discussed. Payroll Page 11 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the following payrolls: October 20, 2000B$297,441.26; October 27, 2000- $283,683.70 and November 3, 2000 -- $290,001.10. Ayes all. Warrants Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded for the approval and payment of the 1NOV20 warrant #2 through # 44 as follows: General Fund $ 293,119.64 City Center Authority 16,567.16 Water Fund 68,546.51 Sewer Fund 2,952.12 Capital Projects Fund 106,178.73 Special Assessment District 5,722.05 Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 22,748.72 TOTAL $ 515,834.93 and the MC201025 warrant #2 - #4 as follows: General Fund $ 10,219.42 City Center Authority 9,218.12 Water Fund -0- Sewer Fund -0- Capital Projects Fund -0- Special Assessment District 350.00 Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 21.36 TOTAL $ 19,808.90 and the MC101800 warrant #2 as follows: General Fund $ 448,492.19 City Center Authority -0- Water Fund -0- Sewer Fund -0- Capital Projects Fund -0- Special Assessment District -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development -0- TOTAL $ 448,492.19 Page 12 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 and the MC201101 warrant #2 - #5 as follows: General Fund $ 38,775.12 City Center Authority -0- Water Fund 21,894.72 Sewer Fund 2,253.86 Capital Projects Fund -0- Special Assessment District -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development -0- TOTAL $ 62,923.70 and the MC110100 warrant #2 as follows: General Fund $ 716.50 City Center Authority -0- Water Fund -0- Sewer Fund -0- Capital Projects Fund -0- Special Assessment District -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development -0- TOTAL $ 716.50 Ayes all. Budget Amendments Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the budget amendments as presented (Attachment A). Ayes all. Budget Transfers Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the budget transfers as presented (Attachment B). Ayes all. October 31, 2000 Financial Report Commissioner Michael Lenz distributed the October 31 financial report. He said at this time of the year we should be at about 83 percent in expenditures while we are at about 75 percent. Schedule 2001 Budget Workshops and Public Hearings Commissioner Michael Lenz asked that Commissioners forward their proposed budget reductions to him by 4:30 p.m. on November 9. He said a budget would be released to the press and the Page 13 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Council on November 13. He said to date reductions have been received from the Mayor’s office ($255,000), DPW ($50,000) and Recreation ($22,120). He said that revenues have been increased by about $68,000. He said it might be possible to increase the revenue lines in the building permit area and compost revenues. He said, though, that more cuts are needed to get to a zero percent increase in taxes. He said he has the proposed Water & Sewer; City Center and Special Assessment District budgets and asked for the Capital budget by Thursday. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would get that information to him. Commissioner Michael Lenz then requested a public hearing on November 14, 7:00 p.m. in the City Council room and again on November 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council room. He said it was his hope that the Council could adopt a budget at the November 21 meeting. Update on Sale of City Owned Property Commissioner Michael Lenz said Geoff Bornemann has helped his office out considerably on this properties list. He said he would like to sell these city owned parcels at a public auction. He said minimum bids would be established. He noted that adjacent property owners would be notified of this auction. He said 165.44-2-1 would be removed from this list per Commissioner Thomas McTygue’s request. He said the Real Estate Committee would meet on November 28 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss these parcels and the sale. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the City should keep the parcel on Walworth Street between Walworth Street and the Shelter. Commissioner Michael Lenz said fine. Commissioner Michael Lenz said it was his projection that the City could see revenues of about $100,000 through this sale. He said the objective though was to simply clean up the tax roles. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Charter Review Commission Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he objected to the Fact Sheet that had been developed by the Charter Review Commission and its planned release. He said it should have been forwarded to Commissioners for their review before distribution. He said there are some incorrect items in this documents. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would talk to Harvey Fox about this matter. He said, though, he did not believe that the Council had any authority over the Commission other than to make appointments to it. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said perhaps the Commission’s authority should be handled through the budget process. Curb and Sidewalk Agreement Page 14 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the curb and sidewalk agreement for 42 Park Place. Ayes all. Bid Waive List Addendum Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to add Artco and Polsinello to the Bid Waive List. He explained that they need to add dealers who supply Texaco oil and those dealers can change monthly. Ayes all. Salsco, Inc. Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to confirm the recent approval by memo to Salsco for a wood/brush chipper with noncontract options in the amount of $3,576. Ayes all. Glens Falls Roofing Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to confirm the recent approval by memo to Glens Falls Roofing in the amount of $5,700 for repair to the Arts Council roof. He said the money is in that capital improvement budget. Ayes all. Proposed Sewer Rates Saratoga County District 1 Commissioner Thomas McTygue said his department has put forth a great deal of effort to reduce the I&I. He said the City has reduced its amount and at the same time the County has changed its methodology on billing thereby increasing our rates. He reported that the County has said they cannot go by flow. He said Saratoga Springs is the only community that has spent this kind of money on this issue. He said the Sewer Commission was created by the County. He said he did not understand how the Sewer Commission had the authority to allow outside sewage to be brought into this district. He said there is major construction outside of the district that now brings sewer through this district. He pointed out that while this major construction is taking place outside of the district, their rates were decreased and the City’s increased. Bill McTygue, Deputy Commissioner, DPW, said the City simply receives a lump sum bill and that bill is then recalculated based on water usage and charge to City residents. He said the City is facing a substantial increase and there are major discrepancies which gave the City good cause to go to public hearing and point out those discrepancies. He said the City’s bill is increasing by 21 percent and 793 users outside of this formal sewer districts are experiencing a reduction of 40 percent. He said the City simply wants some fairness. He said the County Sewer Commission owns and operates 58 sewer stations while the City owns and operates its own sewer stations. He pointed out that is a major expense to our budget. He said much of the time it requires full-time attention from our staff. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he has offered to give these stations to the Page 15 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 County to maintain. He said they have asked for a rebate based on the operation of these pumps. He said the City does get a rebate of $13,500 for billing which is only a fraction of what it costs. Bill McTygue said the City shoulders 72 percent of the total increase of the sewer budget while contributing only 31 percent of the flow. Bill McTygue said there is a request from the Town of Wilton for a street opening permit to allow them to upgrade the sewer line; and when the town accommodates the City’s standards, the street opening permit will be authorized. He said there were some problems with the initial design but they have been reworked. He said the Town of Wilton is charged according to 485,200 gpd, however, the main has been operating at capacity of 750,000 gpd. Bill McTygue said the City costs were increased in an amount equal to 3,000 residential units. He said the sewer commission overall was increased by 4,639 residential units and the City got 3,000 of that 4,639 which is equivalent to a 65 percent increase. He said this is an unfair levy on the City. Bill McTygue said the City owes it to its residents to bring equity to this process. Phil Klein said it was good to see the City work as a team and the City did well today. He said the sewer rate is a very complicated issue with many technical mathematical aspects. He said it is clear though that there are many questions that need to be answered. He said it is evident that metering needs to take place so that residents pay for only what they use. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there has been a lot of frustration on this issue. Commissioner Thomas McTygue agreed saying that he has been working on this for quite some time. He pointed out that according to the City’s building department 194 new building permits were issued last year and they expect the same again this year. He wondered where the County got the number of 3,000 residential units. He said he wondered how many units were surrounding towns increased by. Bill McTygue pointed out that while the Town of Wilton has had a tremendous growth rate, their rates were cut by 40 percent. Dollars for Decorations Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the Downtown Business Association is in the process of raising funds for Christmas decorations for the downtown area. He said in order to speed the process up somewhat, it had been suggested that a fundraiser be held. Therefore, a booth will be set up during the Victorian street walk called “Dollars for Decorations” and donations will be accepted. He said the total estimated cost is between $75,000 and $80,000. He encouraged residents to donate to this cause. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Local Law Enforcement Grant (00-223) Page 16 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to accept the local law enforcement grant in the amount of $56,000 with 6,000 match from the City naming Assistant Chief Cornick as the City’s representative to that grant. Ayes all. Hazmat Incident Response Team Commissioner Thomas Curley said there recently was a joint meeting between the City and County on developing an initial response team for hazmat material incidents. He said this is a good opportunity for the City and surrounding communities to prepares ourselves. He said additional meetings will be held. He said that Skip Scirocco is also involved in this issue. He said hazmat training in the county is somewhat patchy. He said the City is the ideal choice for this team because of its population, quickness of response time, location, etc. Phil Klein said this is a good project for the county but there is still a lot of legal issues that must be resolved such as training, equipment, backup. He said there needs to be a lot of cooperation for this program to run. Trigger Lock Give Away Commissioner Thomas Curley reported that a trigger lock give away program would be held on November 16 at City Hall, third floor, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. which is sponsored by the bar association, the district attorney’s office, sheriff department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City police department. Executive Session Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to adjourn to executive session for discussion on contract issues at 9:40 p.m. Ayes all. Council members returned at 10:00 p.m. Williams vs. City (00-224) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to hire Tony Izzo to represent the City in the Williams vs. City case. Ayes all. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Michael Lenz seconded to adjourn the meeting at 10:00 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Kenneth Klotz adjourned the meeting at 10:00 p.m. Page 17 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 8, 2000 Respectfully submitted, Kathy Moran Approved: Clerk Page 18 of 18