City Council

CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 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 William McTygue, Deputy Commissioner, Public Works Jeffrey Wait, City Attorney PUBLIC HEARING B 2001 BUDGET Commissioner Michael Lenz said this is the second public hearing for the 2001 budget. He said he hoped the budget would be adopted this evening. Commissioner Michael Lenz opened the public hearing. Commissioner Thomas McTygue pointed out that the Sewer Budget would be reduced by $100,000. Gene Corsale, Outlook Avenue, asked if there had been any provision in this budget to deal with the drainage issue on the west side. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he had distributed the capital budget plan and that item had been included in year three of that plan. Tim Mabee, representing the Downtown Special Assessment District, said the SAD was requesting a partnership with the City for the purchase of a hand-held computer to monitor parking in the downtown area. He said the SAD has been working on this matter for several years but because of the cost of the equipment they have not moved forward. He said the price of this equipment is approximately $22,000. He said the SAD was proposing this evening to share that cost with the City and asked that the City consider earmarking $12,000 for this purchase. Tim Mabee said there are a great many benefits through this purchase including an increase in revenue through the issuance of tickets. He said the SAD simply cannot cover the whole cost of this equipment. Commissioner Thomas Curley said there are many violators of the two-hour limit by simply moving their cars a little. He said this equipment will allow for the vehicles to be tracked in a more effective and efficient manner. He said also there is a reduced amount of paper. Commissioner Thomas Curley said this is a good opportunity and he hoped these funds could be included in the capital budget. Page 1 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 Commissioner Thomas McTygue said there is a great deal of downtown employees who abuse the two-hour parking limit. He said this equipment would give the City the opportunity to better track those violators. Tim Mabee said this is a short term solution to a long term problem. Commissioner Thomas Curley said there has been a lot of good feedback from other communities on this equipment. Tim Mabee said if this purchase was approved, it could be up and running in about six weeks. Dennis Brunelle, Economic Opportunity Council, said EOC has been operating in this City at their Broadway location for nearly 30 years. He said recently they decided to take a risk and have now identified a location next to the Espey site for a new building and they have already begun to clean up the site. He said they have requested some funding through the Community Development Block Grant for curbs and sidewalks at a cost of approximately $30,000 but have not been funded. He said the total cost of their project is approximately $1.1 million of which they have been able to raise $667,000 so far. He said tonight they were requesting that the Council consider contributing $30,000 to this project. Dennis Brunelle pointed out that more than $1 million from EOC goes back into the community through the WIC program, construction costs, etc. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if they would be starting a fundraiser soon. Dennis Brunelle said they are scheduled to begin a drive on December 8. Dennis Brunelle pointed out that this is the first time this organization has asked for money for their own existence. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked what was their annual operating budget. Dennis Brunelle said approximately $2.2 million which includes federal and state monies for various programs. He said that funding comes from the Health Department, Department of State (administrative costs), Housing and Urban Renewal, etc. He said most of the money is federal money. Dennis Brunelle said the funding for these programs is based on performance. He said if they don’t produce, they are not funded. Phil Klein, EOC Board member, said he supported this request. He said this organization does a lot of good work throughout the County but they are headquartered in the City. He said Senator Bruno’s office has recently awarded them with $100,000 and the County has offered $50,000. There being no one else wishing to speak, Commissioner Michael Lenz closed the public hearing. DOLLARS FOR DECORATIONS Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to participate in the “Dollars for Decorations” fundraiser. He said the downtown special assessment has undertaken a program to raise funds to purchase some old fashion lighting for the holiday season. He said in order to continue this momentum, they have established a fundraising program. He said there will be a box located in front of City Hall during the Victorian Street Walk, staffed by volunteers from City Hall, accepting donations. PUBLIC HEARING B COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Page 2 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 Mayor Kenneth Klotz said this public hearing is continued C from the November 8 meeting. He said it is on his agenda this evening for a vote. He said Commissioners will be asked to vote on the original package this evening with a more detailed review and revisions at a later time. Mayor Kenneth Klotz opened the public hearing. There being no one wishing to speak, Mayor Kenneth Klotz closed the public hearing. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Kenneth Klotz called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. MAYOR=S OFFICE Shelters of Saratoga HOME Grant Project B Presentation Janine Farmer, SOS Director, said this is a follow up to previous discussions with the Council on their grant application. She said they are in the application process at this time with a door-to-door campaign under way. She said they will accept applications from November 27 to December 1. She said they are looking at a core area of 25 houses but may expand outside of that area if there are enough funds. She said this grant is for owner-occupied homes that are in need of bringing the residence up to building code. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked what was the maximum grant per home. Janine Farmer said $15,000 per house. She said if there are funds remaining they will expand outside of the small core area. She said she will meet with Brad Birge, Community Development, and the Weatherization program representatives to be sure that services are not being duplicated. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked who would do the work. Janine Farmer said the homeowner can bring in his/her own contractor, however, they will most likely work from the Community Development list of contractors. She said they will require three bids for any work to be done. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked if there would be a final inspections. Janine Farmer said yes. She said though that there will probably not be any structural changes to the residences, but rather just bringing the buildings up to code. However, inspections, if required, will be done. She said the work to be done should include items such as roofs, foundations, electrical, etc. Sales Tax Consultant B Report Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he had been working on the sales tax issue for some time now in trying to determine whether it is in the City’s best interest to levy our own sales tax. He said he had talked to KMPG, Ernst & Young and Tom Kirschner on this issue and he hoped to receive packages from them in the near future in order to make some comparisons. He said he would have more information for the next Council meeting. Page 3 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 Commissioner Michael Lenz asked what were the qualifications for this consultant and what would it cost the City. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the cost would likely be between $25,000 and $30,000. He said it was worth spending this little amount of money to get expert advice. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he would like to review the packets of material sent by these companies. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would distribute that information. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked who was Tom Kirschner. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he is a local economic consultant. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked what were the backgrounds of the other companies. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the two larger firms are national firms with staff that specialize in this area. He said both firms have various expertise in governmental affairs, finance, taxation, etc. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked if the Council, collectively, would make the decision on who is hired or will the Mayor do so. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would be glad to entertain advice from Council members on this matter. Nimo Property B Negative SEQR Determination (00-225) Jeff Wait, City Attorney, said it appears that some Home Rule Legislation is required before the City can sell this parcel because of it is park property. He said, though, the City first needs to issue a negative SEQR determination. He said once the negative SEQR is done, the state parks offices need to be contacted and then draft legislation needs to be developed. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked what was the time frame. Jeff Wait said once the contract is signed, the survey is done, easements are agreed on and the home rule legislation is approved, it should be finalized by the end of next summer. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to issue a negative SEQR determination for the Excelsior Avenue Ice Rink/Nimo land. Ayes all. Recreation Department/Armory Contract Amendment Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to amend the contract between the Recreation Department and the Armory for the rental of space and increase the amount by $800. Ayes all. 1999 Comprehensive Plan Amendments (00-226) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the amendments to the 1999 Comprehensive Plan as presented and to also issue a negative SEQR determination. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said this is the first phase of the recommendations from that committee. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked about the comments received from the Saratoga County Planning Board. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said their concern was about the overlay area, however, they did recommend approval despite that noted concern. Jeff Pfeil said there are no zoning issues in the overlay area and their comments were more just an awareness factor. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked if this would Page 4 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 prevent the City from doing any zoning changes in those areas. Jeff Pfeil said no. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked if these amendments were similar to what the Open Space Committee wanted the first time. Jeff Pfeil said yes. Ayes all. Capital Budget and Capital Plan (00-227) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the 2001 capital budget and the 2002-2006 long range plan as presented (Attachment A) Mayor Kenneth Klotz said this was the culmination of a very lengthy process which started at the beginning of the year. He said long lists from both DPW and DPS were submitted for projects that need to be done. He reminded Council members that on a selective emergency basis some of the capital projects were done this year. He said his proposal this evening was as follows: old debt -- $1,098,885; new projects paid in cash -- $519,000; new debt -- $128,000 for a total of $1,745,885. He said revenues would come from property tax, other, capital reserve fund and fund balance. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said projects to be paid for through the capital reserve fund include fire dept. building upgrades, casino repairs, city hall renovations, Woodlawn Avenue Parking lot, salt shed, DPS office repairs, brick repair at City Hall and Congress Park bathrooms. He said the projects to be bonded include items such as the Grande Industrial Park. He said they hoped to get some funding for the Grande Industrial Park from the County. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said his department has been discussing the issue of bathrooms with the Saratoga County Arts Council. He said they need to work out the details, but it appears that bathrooms can be added to this building since the plumbing comes in from the rear. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he has tried to through this capital budget to get the much needed work done and to keep the tax rate down by using some of the surplus money. Commissioner Michael Lenz said the bathroom is a welcomed addition for the City. He said he had spoken with Kevin Kling, Network Administrator, and he has determined that it is very likely that the$60,000 allotted for computers this coming year may not be needed. He asked if the Council might be willing to use that $60,000 for another capital project such as the West Avenue water loop. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said there had been a request for upgrading the fields, however, he felt that was a maintenance issue and it would be funded through the general budget. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he had mixed feelings on eliminating the computer items. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said eliminating the computer items would give him a much needed cushion. He said there are sewer problems in the Beekman Street area and there are some other projects that may need to be contracted out. It was agreed that the $60,000 would be left in the budget with the Page 5 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 understanding that it could be used as a cushion. Commissioner Michael Lenz said some of it could be used for the purchase of the handheld computer for DPS as requested by the Special Assessment District. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the City would receive a consent order from the state in the near future that would require some funding. Commissioner Michael Lenz clarified that $15,000 would be set aside for the purchase of the hand-held computer for DPS. Christine Gillmett-Brown, Deputy Commissioner, said when the City goes out to bond, at that time we need to be specific on what it being bonded. Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to eliminate the $60,000 for the computer and reallocate those funds as follows: $15,000 for the purchase of a hand-held computer for DPS and $45,000 for capital contingency line. Ayes all. Commissioner Michael Lenz said a capital reserve fund would be established and unlike the City Center fund this fund would have no conditions placed on it. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked that the motion include the City Attorney’s review of this fund. Commissioners agreed. Commissioner Thomas Curley said the last time the City purchased a pumper it cost $216,000. Chief Bob Cogan, from the audience, said he estimated the cost of a pumper, fully equipped would be about $275,000. He said they are ready to move forward with sending this item out to bid. Commissioner Thomas McTygue suggested that he proceed with the bidding process. Mayor Kenneth Klotz suggested that DPS pursue other funding sources for the digital fingerprinting equipment before seeking those funds from the Council. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked if the funds from the landfill closure ($180,000) had been set aside. Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown said yes. She said there was still about $10,000 outstanding. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said those funds should be received soon and he would follow up on where they were. Commissioner Thomas Curley said when the Council begins to think about long range planning, a fire house on the east side should be considered. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the City Attorney will review the fund balance of $140,000 to find an approved mechanism to use those funds in the capital budget. Ayes all. United Way B Report Mayor Kenneth Klotz reported that the United Way campaign would take place from December 4-8, 2000. He encouraged City Hall employees to be generous. Recreation Commission/City Council Meeting -- December 14, 2000 Mayor Kenneth Klotz reported that a special City Council meeting had been scheduled for December 14 to discuss the overall operation of the Recreation Department. Page 6 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 Appointments Mayor Kenneth Klotz announced the appointment of Bob Cleary and Gordon Boyd to the Community Development Block Grant Committee. Washington Street -- Phase II Final Payment Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the final payment for the Washington Street Phase II project in the amount of $24,266. Ayes all. Commissioner Thomas McTygue informed Council members that the County had made an application for a grant in the amount of $250,000. He said the grant application had been accepted and the City would receive $50,000 shortly. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Approval of October 17 & November 6 meeting minutes Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the October 17 and November 6 meeting minutes with minor corrections. Ayes all. Award of Bid B City Center B Floor Maintenance Products Upon the recommendation of the City Center Authority, Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to award the bid for floor maintenance products to Ecolab, of St. Paul, MN, or an authorized Ecolab distributor, MN for various prices (lowest acceptable bidder). Ayes all. Award of Bid B 2001 HVAC Service Contract Upon the recommendation of the City Center Authority, Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to award the bid for HVAC Service for 2001 to Technical Building Services of Ballston Spa in the amount of $6,874 (lowest acceptable bidder). Ayes all. Award of Bid B 2001 Dust Mop and Walk Off Mat Service Upon the recommendation of the City Center Authority, Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to award the bid for dust mop and walk-off mats to Coyne Textile Service of Schenectady for various prices (only bidder). Ayes all. Tax Certiorari Cases (00-228) Jeff Wait, City Attorney, said he was here this evening on two matters. First was the Ten Springs Brewery on Excelsior Avenue. He said they challenged their assessment in 1998 and 2000. He after negotiations with this property owner, he was recommending to the Council that a reduction of $100,300 Page 7 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 with a total refund of $2,570 be approved. He said through these negotiations, they agree to not challenge their assessment for three years. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked about the assessed value. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said they had been assessed at $1.037 million which is now proposed to be reduced to $937,300. Jeff Wait said he had spoken to the school board on this proposal and they had no specific concerns. Jeff Wait said the second matter was for Miranda Realty/Metro. He said he was recommending that their assessment be reduced by $100,000 from $500,000 to 400,000. He said this company also challenged their assessment in 1998 and 2000. He said they too agree to not challenge their assessment for three years. He said the total refund is $2,563. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if everyone had agreed to these proposals. Jeff Wait said yes. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked what had happened to the 1998 case and why was it being settled now. Jeff Wait said no agreement had been reached until now. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked how the $100,000 figure for reduction had been determined. Jeff Wait said the City’s appraiser evaluates the parcel and comes up with a range. He said a compromise is then reached between the parties. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked what would happen if we defended the assessment. Jeff Wait said it would require a full appraisal. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked about the school board’s feelings on this matter. Jeff Wait said they expressed no strong feelings on settling. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he realized that these were not very large numbers, but said in previous years, the City had taken the stand to defend the tax role. He said the City needs to be firm on this issue and he did not want a message to get out to property owners that our philosophy had changed. He said if we believe we have an accurate role, we should defend that role. He asked for a history of the cases that have been settled from January 1 to the present including the financial impact. Jeff Wait said he did not believe the City had settled more cases than usual. He pointed out that this administration inherited these cases. He said to date the City has settled five or six cases and they continue to work on three cases two of which are ready for trial. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked what happened to the Price Chopper suit. Jeff Wait said the City settled that suit with a total refund of $143,000 which was for a nine-year period. Commissioner Michael Lenz said the Price Chopper dropped their case in the Town of Wilton, yet here is Saratoga Springs they achieved a reduction. Jeff Wait said perhaps the assessed value in Wilton was reasonable. He pointed out that assessments and appraisals are not an exact science. He said when assessments are challenged, expert independent evaluations are sought. Jeff Wait said the City may vigorously defend these suits, but the Council needs to first determine whether it is cost effective to do so. He said there are cases such as the McDonalds on South Broadway that the City is not even discussing. Jeff Wait said some of these cases could have been settled last year, however, after the elections in November nothing was done. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said we have an attentive City Attorney who has devoted a lot of time on this issue. He agreed the City has settled some cases, however, further noted that some are going to trial. Jeff Wait said there is potential exposure for the City in some of the larger cases. Commissioner Michael Lenz agreed but said the City thought it had a good case in the Price Chopper case but yet we settled. He said he would simply like a list of cases brought against the City, whether we have settled and the financial impact. Commissioner Bernard Mirling agreed to that request. Jeff Wait said he had worked with school board attorney on these cases. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked if the school board attorney was in agreement. Jeff Wait said yes. Jeff Wait said the City’s approach this year has been to defend the cases when appropriate after balancing all of the considerations. Page 8 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the settlement, as presented, with Ten Springs Brewery and Miranda Realty/Metro. Ayes: four; Nays: one (Commissioner Michael Lenz). Motion carried. Appraiser Contracts (00-229) Commissioner Bernard Mirling said the appraiser contract had been discussed at a previous meeting and it was his understanding that this contract should have been forwarded to Council for their approval. He said after much research, his staff has found that was not done. Therefore, Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the contract with John Doyle, appraiser, as presented. Jeff Wait said the City has used Bill Hartman in the past, however, he is planning to retire. John Doyle works with Bill Hartman. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked about the costs. Jeff Wait said there are two fees -- one for preliminary appraisal and another for hourly consultation fees. He said the trial appraisal fee is a separate agreement. Mayor Kenneth Klotz wondered why Commissioner Michael Lenz was concerned with these amounts. He said there was a good deal of money spent last year on these issues and no one asked questions then. He said the City is saving a great deal of money this year. Commissioner Michael Lenz did not disagree that the City was saving money. Jeff Wait said the contract included two primary sections: preliminary/hourly fee and then the separate section to hire on a cases by case basis. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he would be interested to see Bill Hartman’s contract from last year. Commissioner Thomas Curley asked for clarification on this signed contract. He said it appeared to have been signed on March 7. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said this item had been discussed by the Council and it was his understanding that the contract should have been forwarded to Council members for approval. However, that was not done. Ayes all. FINANCE OFFICE Payroll Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the following payrolls: November 10, 2000B$296,841.77 and November 17, 2000-$310,640.30. Ayes all. Warrants Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded for the approval and payment of the 2NOV20 warrant #2 through # 40 as follows: Page 9 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 General Fund $ 248,974.06 City Center Authority 5,026.12 Water Fund 64,629.75 Sewer Fund 4,217.67 Capital Projects Fund 5,700.00 Special Assessment District -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 58,014.93 TOTAL $ 386,562.53 and the MC110300 warrant #2 as follows: General Fund $ 1,155.68 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 $ 1,155.68 and the MC110900 warrant #2 as follows: General Fund $ 1,601.35 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 $ 1,601.35 and the MC201116 warrant #2 - #4 as follows: General Fund $ 10,963.43 City Center Authority 424.79 Water Fund 437.44 Sewer Fund 352.28 Capital Projects Fund -0- Special Assessment District -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development -0- TOTAL $ 12,177.94 Ayes all. Page 10 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 Budget Amendments Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the budget amendments as presented (Attachment B). Ayes all. Budget Transfers Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the budget transfers as presented (Attachment C). Ayes all. 2001 Budget B Discussion & Vote (00-230) Commissioner Michael Lenz said the 2001 general budget had been distributed last week. He said based on previous conversations this evening concerning the capital budget, there would be some small alterations to the general fund budget. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if this budget was identical to what was presented last week. Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown said the cuts as previously presented by Commissioners Michael Lenz and Thomas McTygue were included. Commissioner Michael Lenz said it was his understanding that Commissioner Thomas McTygue was interested in another employee for the recreations fields. Commissioner Michael Lenz said this budget maintains a surplus of $517,000 and not $600,000. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said that would leave the general operating budget short. Commissioner Michael Lenz said no. He said because of the previously approved changes to the capital budget, there is about $83,000 to work with. He said to maintain a zero percent increase he proposed to use that $83,000. Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the 2001 general budget as presented. Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to amend the proposed 2001 general budget by increasing the recreational/labor account by $30,000; increasing the line items for the east and west side recreation field improvements by $10,000 each; and to increase the Casino revenue line by $20,000. Ayes all. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he believed the Council was close to an agreement. He said the Council has tried to meet the needs of all of the departments while being cautious with taxes. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he only very recently heard Commissioner Michael Lenz call for a zero percent tax levy increase. He said he was now proposing to commit to a zero percent tax increase but use some additional funds for things that the community wants. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked for specifics. Mayor Kenneth Klotz distributed a proposed 2001 General Fund Budget totaling $22,210,788 (Attachment D). He said he proposed the following: move $25,000 from the Mayor’s budget to Finance for the sales tax consultant; add $2,000 for the Center for the Family; add $4,000 for Preservation Foundation; add $1,000 for vehicle repair and add $6,000 for Community Development all of which are under the Mayor’s Page 11 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 budget. He said he proposed to reinstate some cuts in the Accounts Department and Recreation Department budgets. He said his proposed budget does not include the previously approved changes from earlier this evening. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he proposed that the property tax rate remain the same. He said this budget simply allows for some flexibility for the City. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the proposed 2001 general fund budget as presented by Mayor Kenneth Klotz. Commissioner Thomas McTygue clarified that this proposed budget did not affect the previously approved changes made earlier this evening. Mayor Kenneth Klotz agreed. Commissioner Michael Lenz said this proposal is a dramatic change. He said the calculations have been done and this proposal would likely increase the levy. He said he had been talking about a zero percent tax rate increase for a while now. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there would be no increase in the levy if the assessed value remained the same from last year. He said the total assessed value had gone up about four percent though. Commissioner Michael Lenz said there was confusion on tax rate and tax levy. He said the Mayor is talking about the tax rate while he has been talking about the tax levy. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he was referring to the increase in the total taxable assessed value of the City. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said it was appropriate this year to take advantage of the growth rate and a zero percent tax rate and to also meet the needs of the City. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he proposed and is committed to a zero percent increase in the rate. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said his proposed budget would not increase the tax rate. He said his budget allows for growth through revenues. Commissioner Michael Lenz moved to table this motion to allow his staff time to do calculations on this proposal. He said he wanted to be fair to the public and offer them the tax rate and the levy impact before voting on this budget. He requested that the City Council meet next week, but Commissioners McTygue and Mirling said they would be out of town. Commissioner Thomas McTygue suggested giving Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown time this evening to run the calculations. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the impact on the tax rate is zero. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he would like to do the calculations to be sure. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the proposed changes are not major and there is a contingency fund. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the Council had been discussing the budget for quite some time now. He said we are now at a point where the numbers are reasonable and he is comfortable with the budget as he presented. Commissioner Thomas Curley said the Council has an obligation to taxpayers to be sure of the levy before adopting this budget. He said as a courtesy to Commissioner Michael Lenz he should be given the opportunity to review these numbers. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he may, in fact, support Mayor Kenneth Klotz’s proposal; however, he simply wanted time to review it. He said if Mayor Kenneth Klotz had come to him earlier today, they could have talked about this proposal. He said his staff has been more than willing to work with Mayor Kenneth Page 12 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 Klotz on budgetary issues. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he proposed a zero percent tax rate. He said Council members would be voting on the same tax rate as last year. He said the Council is aware there is a 4.1 percent increase in the total taxable assessed value over last year and applying the same tax rate will generate 4.1 percent more revenue. Commissioner Michael Lenz agreed but said that Mayor Kenneth Klotz also made specific recommendations for additions to the budget which could affect that rate. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he simply wanted some time to review this proposal and run the calculations. Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to table this item until the end of the meeting to allow Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown time to do the calculations. Ayes: four; Nays: one (Mayor Kenneth Klotz). Motion carried. 2001 Water Budget (00-231) Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to adopt the 2001 Water Budget at $2,578,686. He said there would be no increase in water rates (Attachment E). Ayes all. 2001 Sewer Budget (00-232) Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to adopt the 2001 Sewer Budget at $2,448,347. He said this would equate to a 14 percent increase in the budget due to the Saratoga County Sewer Authority (Attachment F). Ayes all. 2001 Special Assessment District Budget (00-233) Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to adopt the 2001 Special Assessment District budget as presented (Attachment G). Ayes all. 2001 City Center Authority Budget (00-234) Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to adopt the 2001 City Center Authority Budget as presented (Attachment H). Ayes all. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Leak Detection Survey B Additional Payment Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve an additional payment to Leak Detection Survey in the amount of $4,173 to cover the cost of surveying an additional 39 miles. He said the original approval was for the inner area of the City in the amount of $11,950. He said they would now like to expand this survey to the outer area. He said the money was within the water budget. Ayes all. Page 13 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 County Sewer Rates Commissioner Thomas McTygue said that he had sent a letter to the County Sewer Authority expressing his dissatisfaction with the rate to be charged to the City even though the bill had been lowered by approximately $214,500. He said this is still a 14 percent increase over last year’s rate. He pointed out that the City contributes 30 percent of the flow but pays 49 percent of the cost. He also noted that the residents outside of the sewer district received a 40 percent reduction in their costs. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the water pump at the water plant is pumping about the same as last year so there is no increase in that area. He said the County says they are using the flow, however, there is no record of a reading. He said we have do not know how the Towns of Wilton and Greenfield are calculated through this system. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said there were 194 building permits issued last year in the City. He said the sewer commission’s projections are based on an increase of 412,400 g.p.d. He said 250 g.p.d. average should the number used for projections. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the only true way to find out would be to meter the system. He said most areas are metered and only two or three meters would need to be installed. He said our representatives to the sewer authority should insist on metering. He also questioned the county’s authority at bringing in outside users to this system. He said the City is now subsidizing their use. He then submitted a copy of a letter sent by him to the sewer authority representatives on July 28, 2000 (Attachment I). 85 Beekman Street -- DPW & Community Development Project Commissioner Thomas McTygue said DPW had begun work at 85 Beekman Street. He said the City will renovate this parcel and then it will be sold next spring or summer. He said $10,000 from community development funds will be used. He said at a later date, he would ask that line items be established with between $40,000 and $50,000 to fund this project. He said the funds would come back to the City when the sale took place. Young & Sommer Payment Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve a payment to Young & Sommer in the amount of $3,794.90 for work at the Town of Wilton Planning Board. He said this was not in connection with the appeal. He said the funds are available within the water budget. Ayes: four; Nays: one (Commissioner Michael Lenz). Motion carried. R.J. Taylor Reimbursement (00-235) Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the payment to R.J. Taylor in the amount of $42,500 as the result of a law suit over water line fees. He said this amount would be refunded through the water line connection fee account. Ayes all. Page 14 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 Casino Old Oven Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he recently received two bids for the purchase of the old oven at the Casino. He said he would sell the oven to the Glen Sanders Mansion in the amount of $225. Gift Bricks (00-236) Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to extend the contract with Gift Bricks for one more year. He said they recently did another installation of 400 bricks and hope to hold a ceremony in the spring. Ayes all. Interlaken Subdivision B Catch basin cleaning Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to authorize DPW to clean the catch basins in the Interlaken Subdivision. He said the city would charge $650 for this services. Ayes all. Executive Session Commissioner Thomas McTygue requested an executive session. Council members agreed. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Firefighters’ Hepatitis B Vaccination Commissioner Thomas Curley said the City is required to maintain protection for the firefighters for Hepatitis B. He said in order to maintain compliance he would like to waive the bid. Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to waive the bid in the amount of $3,400 with Saratoga Care to do the inoculations for Hepatitis B. Ayes all. Annual Software Support Renewal Agreement Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to renew the lease and service contract for software in the police department to Admit Computer Services in the amount of $5,370. Ayes all. Set Public Hearing Local Law Enforcement Grant Commissioner Thomas Curley requested that a public hearing be set for December 5 at 6:40 p.m. on the Local Law Enforcement Grant. Council members agreed. Page 15 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 Disaster Drill Commissioner Thomas Curley said he recently received a letter for the Department of Navy expressing their compliments to members of the City staff in connection with the recent disaster drill. He said events such as these are a good thing for the City. Executive Session Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to adjourn to executive session at 9:30 p.m. Council members returned at 9:40 p.m. and reported that no action had been taken. Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to adjourn until the Finance Department was ready to return to the table with the calculations on the proposed budget. Ayes all. Council members returned to the table at 10:00 p.m. 2001 General Budget (00-230) Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to remove the 2001 budget proposal as presented by Mayor Kenneth Klotz from the table for discussion. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he was proposing a zero percent tax rate increase. He said the difference between his proposal and Commissioner Michael Lenz’s proposal was only about one percent of the total budget. He said he was proposing to spend just a little more and to maintain the tax rate of zero. He said the ordinary taxpayer would not have a change in his/her tax rate. He said the additional revenue will come from the new construction in the City. Commissioner Michael Lenz said there is a clear distinction between the tax rate and the tax levy. He said if the total assessed value does not increase, taxpayers would pay more. He said he and his staff have worked for many weeks now on this budget and have developed a reasonable proposal which gives a little break to the taxpayers and keeps the levy at zero percent. He said the Mayor’s proposal increases expenditures by more than $200,000 over his proposal. He said the change in the capital budget of $60,000 was a wash but the $30,000 increase in the expenditure in the recreation line would need to come from surplus or property taxes. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would like it to come from the surplus. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he wanted a zero percent tax levy and the Mayor’s proposal would bring a four percent increase to the levy. He said he would not support the Mayor’s proposal. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the central feature of his proposal was there be a zero percent tax rate and the budget built around that number. He said the difference should be made up with the surplus. Commissioner Thomas Curley asked Commissioner Michael Lenz if he needed more time to review this proposed budget. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he did not need more time to review it and would not support the proposal. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the Council has been quite close on the budget and he never heard Commissioner Michael Lenz say anything about zero percent levy until very recently. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he had Page 16 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 stated publicly that he was working on keeping the rates down. He said that Commissioner Michael Lenz has stated he would not support a tax increase and his proposal would do just that. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said the average taxpayer simply wants to know if they will pay more or not. He said through the Mayor’s proposed budget, they will not pay any more taxes than last year. Commissioner Michael Lenz said that was not true. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said this is a modest budget and it will allow the City to pay for things that will run the City well. He said he was comfortable with keeping the tax rate the same. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said Public Safety has the largest increase in the City’s budget. He said much of it is due to contract negotiations though. He said it was likely that Commissioner Thomas Curley would be back to the table over the next year looking for more money. He said if the Council is willing to approve contracts then they need to be prepared to support increases in taxes. Commissioner Thomas Curley said his department recently added a code enforcement officer and two police officers. He said the increase to his budget after those expenses is about $60,000. He said his department provides many services to this community and funding is required for those services. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said his proposed budget calls for an increase in funding for Public Safety. Commissioner Thomas Curley said the real issue here this evening is that the Mayor brought a proposed budget to the table at the last minute with no prior discussions with the Finance Department and with no time for Commissioners to review the proposal. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said if Commissioner Thomas Curley had a problem with the budget, he would recommend that $200,000 be removed from Public Safety’s budget which would allow the taxes to remain at the level that Commissioner Michael Lenz recommended. He pointed out that Public Safety had the largest increase in the budget and also offered no cuts. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he was surprised to find that the Commissioners did not think that there might be another proposal brought to the table. Commissioner Thomas Curley said the issue was that it was brought forth at the last minute. Commissioner Michael Lenz said it is unfortunate that the budget process had come to this. He said his office spent a lot of time working with the Mayor on the capital budget and with Commissioner Thomas McTygue on his needs. He said it was unfortunate that Mayor Kenneth Klotz did not come to his office to work with his staff or him on this proposal. Commissioner Thomas McTygue called the question. Mayor Kenneth Klotz clarified that the vote would be that Commissioner Michael Lenz’s budget be amended to reflect his proposed budget (Attachment J). He said the tax rate is zero percent and additional expenditures would come from the surplus. Roll Call vote: Commissioner Bernard Mirling: aye Commissioner Michael Lenz: nay Commissioner Thomas McTygue: aye Commissioner Thomas Curley: nay Mayor Kenneth Klotz: aye. Amendment approved. Page 17 of 18 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 21, 2000 Mayor Kenneth Klotz clarified that the additional spending for the recreation department will come from the surplus and the tax rate will still be zero percent. Roll Call Vote: Commissioner Bernard Mirling: aye Commissioner Michael Lenz: nay Commissioner Thomas McTygue: aye Commissioner Thomas Curley: nay Mayor Kenneth Klotz: aye. Amended motion approved. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Kenneth Klotz adjourned the meeting at 10:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Moran Clerk Approved: Page 18 of 18