City Council

CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2000 CITY COUNCIL ROOM 7:00 P.M. PRESENT : Thomas Curley, Commissioner, Public Safety Kenneth Klotz, Mayor Michael Lenz, Commissioner, Finance Thomas McTygue, Commissioner, Public Works Bernard Mirling, Commissioner, Accounts 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 MAYOR=S OFFICE Appearance Dennis Brunelle, Saratoga County EOC, said he was here this evening to express his gratitude to the Council for allowing DPW to do the renovation work on the two family home that has been under renovation for quite sometime. He said because DPW stepped in and cleaned up the mess left behind by other contractors, there is a little eight-year-old girl now with a home. He said DPW has done a tremendous job and the quality of the work is superb. He said because of the City and in particular DPW, two families will have a home for Christmas. He again thanked the Council for their support. Appointments (00-241) Mayor Kenneth Klotz appointed the following individuals to the Citizen Advisory Committee on the Time Warner contract: Jackie Pardon, Jay Rogroff, Lou Schneider, Laura Chodos and Arthur Gonick. He said he had other appointments to make to the Planning and Zoning Boards but was not yet prepared to make them this evening. He said he would do so before the end of the year though. He then thanked Janet Woodcock, Finance Department employee and member of the Saratoga Housing Authority, for her many years of service to the Housing Authority. He asked Commissioner Michael Lenz to convey his thanks to Janet. Franklin Square Property Transaction -- Confirmation of Approval by Memo (00-242) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to confirm the approval by memo Page 1 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 to sell a small triangular parcel of property in the Washington Street/Division Street area in the amount of $25,000 and to also exchange land with Bob Israel in that area to straighten out the intersection. Ayes all. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked if the check had been received. Commissioner Michael Lenz said yes. Recreation Department Telephones Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the purchase of two telephones for the Recreation Department in the amount of $1,200. He said the money was within the Communications Department budget. Ayes all. Saratoga County Animal Shelter Annual Contract (00-243) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the annual contract with Saratoga County for the Animal Shelter in the amount of $5,702. Ayes all. Saratoga County Office for the Aging Annual Contract B Nutrition (00-244) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the annual contract with Saratoga County for the Office for the Aging contract for nutrition (home delivery of meals) in the amount of $4,300. Ayes all. Saratoga County Office for the Aging Annual Contract B Transportation (00-245) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the annual contract with Saratoga County for the Office for the Aging for transportation in the amount of $5,750. Ayes all. Saratoga Harness Racing, Inc. -- Zoning Amendment Petition (00-246) Mayor Kenneth Klotz the City had received a petition from the Saratoga Harness Racing, Inc., to amend the permitted uses in the Institutional Horse Track Facility district to include such items as equestrian competition arena for polo exhibitions, dressage, rodeo or any horse related promotion, eating and drinking establishment on premise and consideration for additional uses of facility for fundraising as interest dictates. Mayor Kenneth Klotz then moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to accept the petition for study and to send it to the Planning Board for an advisory opinion. Frank Fitzgerald, President of Saratoga Equine Sports Center, said they are not really requesting rezoning but rather want to expand and clarify the list of allowable uses. Frank Fitzgerald said the Saratoga Equine Sports Center was regulated by the Racing and Wagering Board for construction purposes until 1999, however, that has changed and they must now come before the City to request an expansion of the uses. He said they have already had many of the proposed uses at this center, i.e., trade shows, horse related events. He said he had letters of support from SPAC, Chamber of Commerce, etc. Page 2 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 Frank Fitzgerald said they simply want o expand and clarify the uses for the center. He pointed out that NYRA did not have to come to the Council when they recently made some changes at the location. Paul Male said that NYRA did not change or expand their uses, but simply made modifications to the existing horse related activities. Commissioner Thomas Curley said it was standard for such requests to come to the Council and then be referred to the Planning Board for an advisory opinion. Frank Fitzgerald pointed out that NRYA has the same zoning as this center. Mr. Esposito, Matzen Construction, then showed a rendering of their proposal. He said they were proposing a pedestrian connector from the existing facility to a new stadium which would house an indoor polo ring. He said that building will be 60,000 square feet with two levels. He said there would be a loss of 99 parking spaces, but the site currently has 600 parking spaces. He said there are many site plan issues that will be worked out at a later date. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked what was the seating capacity. Frank Fitzgerald said including the floor was about 5,000 but without the floor it was between 3,200 and 3,500. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked about the time schedule. Frank Fitzgerald said they would like to fast track this issue and have it ready by the summer. He said there is a lot of support from the community for this facility. He said he has already had a good amount of interest from various organizations for use of this facility. Mayor Kenneth Klotz thanked the applicant for their presentation. Ayes all. Executive Session Mayor Kenneth Klotz requested an executive session for discussions on negotiations. Sales Tax Consultant Contract (00-247) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the hiring of KPMG as the sales tax consultant contingent upon the City Attorney reviewing the contract. He said once this contract was approved, KPMG could start work in about two weeks and they could have completion in eight weeks. He said he would expect a report from KPMG in March. Mayor Kenneth Klotz reminded Council members that he had distributed information from the companies on his matter. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he was somewhat concerned that KPMG would not have access to certain information from NYS Taxation and Finance because of confidentiality issues and wondered if their conclusions might be flawed and/or inaccurate because of the lack of certain data. Mayor Kenneth Klotz agreed that KPMG may not have full access to data from Taxation and Finance, however, there were other approaches that could be made to come to some conclusions. He said that Page 3 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 statement was added to their proposal as a cautionary note. He said the City needs a professional to tell us whether we have enough definitive information to make a determination. He said if the consultant is not able to ascertain certain information, that in itself was good information. Commissioner Thomas Curley said there had been some concern expressed that the conclusions might show that the City is getting an inappropriate amount from the County. He said it was his understanding the City must generate approximately $475,000,000 in gross receipts to get what we currently get from the county. Commissioner Michael Lenz wondered what progress could be made if the consultant gets to a point with the state where they are unable to obtain the necessary information. He said he was somewhat concerned that the City might be spending money to find out what we already know. He said at some point the Council needs to make a determination on whether they want to take this step or not. He said he was also concerned that this might hinder the City’s relationship with the County. He pointed out that recently the City has received a considerable amount of funds from the county for things such as the admissions tax. Commissioner Michael Lenz said the consultant would come back with one of three conclusions: 1) the City is not getting what it should, 2) the City could get less; or 3) the City should get the same. He said he was not convinced that we should take this gamble. He said he wished Mayor Kenneth Klotz good luck on this issue, but he would not support this motion this evening. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there has been too much speculation on this matter and it was time to hire a professional to get the work done. He said this should not be seen as antagonistic toward the county, but rather it is simply fact gathering. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the county should not feel slighted because the City chooses to get its financial house in order. He said this has been an ongoing discussion for many years and it was time to do some research. He said this is a positive thing for the City. He reminded Council members that the City’s piece of the pie of the sales tax has decreased from 27 percent to 21 percent and there has been talk of decreasing it more. He said to have a professional look into this is good protection for the City. He pointed out that the City will still be entitled to funds from the 1 1/2 percent that the county collects. He said that former Commissioner Lew Benton has spent a lot of time on this issue and he has made a convincing argument that the City needs to look into this issue. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the information from KPMG states that the City could benefit in the range between $400,000 and $900,000. He said he realized that the data might not be completely accurate, however, a good block of money could be generated. Commissioner Michael Lenz pointed out that other information points to the fact that the City could lose $1,000,000 Commissioner Thomas Curley said he was concerned about the secondary impact that could create a loss of revenue to the City. Phil Klein said the county had a meeting today and discussed creating a committee to review the sales tax distribution formula. He said though that resolution did not pass. He said at this time the County will not form a committee to review this issue. He said the County would wait until the preliminary census figures arrive before reviewing this issue. He said those preliminary numbers would be used in the existing Page 4 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 formula to determine what the new distribution would be. He said the City is scheduled to receive $7.1 million this year. He pointed out that although the City’s slice of the pie has decreased over the years, the pie has gotten larger, therefore, the City has seen a 25 percent increase in sales tax revenue. He said it is likely, that although there has been a good growth throughout the county, the City will generate less. Commissioner Thomas Curley asked if perhaps the Council would consider waiting until those preliminary figures were available. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said no. He said it made no sense to wait for the numbers that are likely already predictable. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked if the Council was prepared to take a reduction in sale tax. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said that the opposite could also happen. He said this is not a negative thing for the City. He reminded Council members that when the City was collecting sales tax, we paid cash for projects such as the Village Brook, Canfield Casino, DPW garage, etc. He said the City had a substantial amount of money when it was collecting its own sales tax. He said the City is the one putting on the show and the surrounding towns benefit from the City. He said we should look at hiring a consultant as a positive thing. Roll call vote: Commissioner Bernard Mirling: aye Commissioner Michael Lenz nay Commissioner Thomas McTygue aye Commissioner Thomas Curley nay Mayor Kenneth Klotz aye Motion carried. United Way Employee Campaign Award -- Flo Lis Mayor Kenneth Klotz said a congratulatory letter was received from Joann Buchas, United Way, expressing her thanks on behalf of United Way for the support of the City and in particular Florence Lis during their recent campaign. He said Florence Lis had organized the United Way campaign throughout the City and did a wonderful job in doing so. Commissioner Michael Lenz thanked Mayor Kenneth Klotz and said he would pass this praise along to Florence Lis. Locust Grove Road Culvert Replacement (00-248) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the contract with Swarthout Construction for the work to be done at the Locust Grove Road Culvert replacement. He said the amount of this project was $25,000 Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the Engineering Department solicited proposals for this project. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked if this was an official bid with a legal advertisement. Paul Male, City Engineer, said there was no advertisement for this project. It was agreed by Council members that because there was no official legal advertisement that this was a waive of bid. Both Mayor Kenneth Klotz and Commissioner Thomas McTygue agreed to withdraw the motion. Page 5 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 Mayor Kenneth Klotz then moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to waive the bid to Swarthout Construction in the amount of $25,000 for the Locust Grove Road Culvert replacement. Ayes all. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Approval of December 5 meeting minutes Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the December 5 City Council meeting minutes with a few minor corrections. Ayes all. Award of Bid -- Dalbec Audio Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to award the bid to Dalbec Audio in the amount $5,200 for audio equipment for the Council room. Ayes all. Waive of Bid -- Voting Machines B Sequoia Pacific Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to waive the bid to Sequoia Pacific in the amount of $12,200 for new voting machines. (sole source vendor). Commissioner Michael Lenz said it was his understanding that the both the senate and assembly were looking into this matter and there might possibly be some funding for the purchase of these types of machines at a later date. He said it was also his understanding that only a very few companies make this type of machine. Commissioner Bernard Mirling agreed. He said though that these machines can be reprogrammed and they also allow for a larger ballot than the existing machines. He said he was aware that Senator Bruno had been working on this issue, but the City is operating with very old machines that should be updated. He said handicapped accessibility was also an issue. He said we are required to buy two by the state. He further noted that Clifton Park is using this style of machine and they are quite happy. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he did not disagree with Commissioner Bernard Mirling but wondered whether we should wait to buy them. He asked how many machines the City currently has. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said there are 22 plus 3 in reserve. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said there is some problem with obtaining replacement parts. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said congratulations should be offered to the machine custodians. He said this was a good year with no problems. Commissioner Bernard Mirling agreed saying that Carol Kennedy and Debbie Harper as well as fellow democrats should also be commended for a job well done. Ayes all. Waive of Bid B SPSS Software Page 6 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 Commissioner Bernard Mirling said they had found this item on state contract, therefore, no waive of bid was necessary. Extension of Bid B Uniforms Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works, Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to extend the contract for one year for uniforms with Quail Uniform Service under the same terms and conditions. Ayes all. Extension of Bid B Everett J. Prescott Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works, Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to extend the contract for one year for Sensus ECR Kits with Everett J. Prescott, under the same terms and conditions. Ayes all. FINANCE OFFICE Payroll Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the following payrolls: December 8, 2000B$294,257.15 and December 15, 2000-$312,030.95. Ayes all. Warrants Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded for the approval and payment of the 2DEC20 #2 through # 24 as follows: General Fund $ 79,362,62 City Center Authority 2,730.68 Water Fund 3,910.61 Sewer Fund 3,091.84 Capital Projects Fund 240,379.14 Special Assessment District 11,175.00 Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 20,778.94 TOTAL $ 361,428.83 and the MC201213 warrant #2-#5 as follows: General Fund $ 43,181.46 City Center Authority -0- Water Fund 14,122.97 Sewer Fund 179.51 Capital Projects Fund -0- Special Assessment District -0- Page 7 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development -0- TOTAL $ 57,483.94 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. November 30,2000, Financial Report Commissioner Michael Lenz distributed the November 30 financial report. He said we should be at about 92 percent for expenditures at this time, however, we are still under budget at 84 percent. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked about revenues. Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown said a revenue report should be done in January. Approve of Part -Time Employee Hourly Rate (00-249) Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to increase the part time hourly salary of Janet Woodcock and Betty from $9.50 to $9.75. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said it had been customary that the Council would approve increasing the part time maximum hourly rate; and then if a commissioner so desired, that commissioner could then increase the hourly rate of the individual within that department. Both Commissioner Michael Lenz and Mayor Kenneth Klotz agreed to withdraw the motion. Commissioner Michael Lenz then moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to increase the maximum hourly salary for part time positions from $9.50 to $9.75/hour. Ayes all. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he would increase the salaries for these two individuals. He said they are both the glue that holds this department together. Waive of Bid -- Special Assessment District -- Brandano Displays, Inc. Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to waive the bid to Page 8 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 Brandano displays in the amount of $11,000 for the new pole wreaths. Ayes all. Health Insurance Contracts -- Authorization to Sign (00-250) Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the health insurance contracts with CDPHP, MVP and Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked for a summary of the increases/decreases. Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett said she did not have the exact numbers available this evening, however, the costs were figured into the 2001 budget. She said there were increases of between 15 and 17 percent and decreases of between 3 and 4 percent. She noted though that the overall line was decreased due to the fact that a contingency did not need to be budgeted for a previous indemnity plan. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if she knew what the dollar amount change might be for the City for those employees changing contracts. Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown said it should not have a significant impact on the budget. Ayes all. Capital Reserve for 2001 Capital Budget Resolution (00-251) Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the 2001 Capital Reserve Capital budget resolution (Attachment C) Commissioner Michael Lenz said this issue had been discussed in the past. He said this was simply a mechanism for a way in which the City could use and distributed these funds. He said he had reviewed this resolution with City Attorney Jeff Wait. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked if we knew exactly what projects would be funded through this reserve fund. Commissioner Michael Lenz said it was his understanding the no specific items were earmarked. He said this resolution dealt strictly with where the funding would come for such projects. Ayes all. Tax Rate (00-252) Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the tax rates as follows: Special Assessment District $ .70 Capital Fund $ .63 General Inside District $4.96 General Outside District $4.84 Commissioner Michael Lenz reported that this amounts to a combined overall zero percent rate increase. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if the rate increase was zero in both the general and capital budgets. Commissioner Michael Lenz said there was an increase in the general and a decease in the capital, but for billing purposes it is combined, therefore, there was no increase. Page 9 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 Ayes all. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Water Bills Commissioner Thomas McTygue reported that his department recently redesigned their water bills for easier reading for residents. Waive of Bid -- Curbell Company Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to confirm the recent approval by memo for acrylic sheeting for the Weibel Avenue Ice Rink in the amount of $1,543.55. Ayes all. Waive of Bid -- Don Lewis Plumbing Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to confirm the recent approval by memo for two draft inducer units for the heater in the mechanics bay at the City garage in the amount of $1,160. Ayes all. Waive of Bid -- Cranesville Aggregate Company Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to confirm the recent approval by memo to Cranesville Sand in the amount of $3.39/ton. Ayes all. Waive of Bid -- Cathedral Stone Company Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to waive the bid to Cathedral Stone Company in the amount of $1,095 for stone for repair work to the Katrina Trask area. He also reported that DPW recently had an employee trained to make these types of repairs, thereby saving the City the cost of contracting out for this type of work. Ayes all. Waive of Bid -- 85 Beekman Street Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to confirm the recent approval by memo for the following: Boyce & Drake (boiler) $5,855; Lowes (windows) $600; Allerdice (vinyl siding) $1,400; Lumber (Allerdice) $10,000 and Lowes misc. ($5,000). Commissioner Michael Lenz asked for a brief summary on this project. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the Council had approved the renovation of this home by DPW employees to bring it up to code. He said the City had purchased the home, cleaned up the site, done the wiring, etc. He said he hoped that if this Page 10 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 was a successful project the City could do it again for another home. Commissioner Michael Lenz said it was his understanding that the City approved $10,000 this year for these improvements. He said he also understood that it was likely that the City would make a profit on this home when selling it after completion. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said there would still be more expenditures for this project. He said perhaps the City could establish some type of revolving fund to finance these types of projects. Ayes all. Recreation B Discussion Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he recently had a meeting with representatives from both the National and American Little Leagues on their needs for recreation fields. He said a representative from the school district also attended that meeting. He said based on that meeting there will be some improvements to the fencing at the fields, via netting, at the east side recreation field. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said that Council also needs to give some consideration for long range planning in reference to recreational needs for the City. He said the Council needs to discuss acquiring a large tract of land (70 acres) to meet the needs for the next 20 years. He said there is a large tract of lane on Gilbert/Meadowbrook Road that could meet the City’s needs. He said the City should consider getting an appraisal on this parcel. Mayor Kenneth Klotz agreed there is a constant squeeze for recreational land and he thought that Commissioner Thomas McTygue’s suggestion was reasonable. He said he would like to appoint a committee to review this issue and suggested that Commissioners Thomas McTygue, Michael Lenz, City Attorney Jeffrey Wait and himself meet to discuss this topic. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said that he would also like the Council to consider a long term lease for land. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said this was a good idea. He said additional recreational facilities need to be created. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Upgrades Commissioner Thomas McTygue suggested that Commissioner Thomas Curley hold off on giving upgrades to employees until the Council is through with negotiations with the union. He said these upgrades are grade changes that should wait. He said the Mayor’s Office also has some upgrades that he wants to make, but he will hold off until negotiations are through. He said the Council should not deal with this issue at this time. He said perhaps holding off on these upgrades could help the Council in the negotiation process. Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Michael Lenz seconded to upgrade public safety Page 11 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 employees. He said it had been more than eight years since these employees had been upgraded. He pointed out that every other department in City Hall has upgraded employees this year. He said most of his employees will have additional duties assigned to them. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he did not ask for grade changes with his employees. He said Commissioner Thomas Curley is proposing to change the grades of the existing jobs. He said he had no objections to grade changes or upgrades but because we are in negotiations with the union at this time, we should wait. He further pointed out that Mayor Kenneth Klotz is proposing to recommended upgrades to employees in the City Attorney’s office, Communications, and the Recreation Department. Mayor Kenneth Klotz suggested discussing this issue in executive session. Commissioner Michael Lenz pointed out that all other departments have made changes over the last year for their employees. He said this is Commissioner Thomas Curley’s budget and since he is working within the confines of his budget, he should be allowed to give these increases. He said Commissioner Thomas Curley’s proposal does not affect the contract negotiations. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked when Commissioner Thomas Curley would make these changes effective. Commissioner Thomas Curley said immediately. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he did not make grade changes. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said that job descriptions were changed in his department and he would feel more comfortable in discussing this in executive session before making a decision. Commissioner Thomas Curley said these employees have not been upgraded in eight years. He said some will be required to take a test if this resolution is approved. He said Commissioners all sit at this table and talk about how good their employees are and he wanted to give them the recognition they deserved. He further noted that the total dollar cost was $3,800 for seven employees. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he read in the paper about the high cost of overtime in the DPS budget. He said we should be dealing with the issue of accumulating sick and comp. time and cashing it in at a higher rate. He pointed out that this is an area that can be controlled. Commissioner Thomas Curley pointed out that there are minimum requirements for shifts that need to be met. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said this is a substantial amount of people that would be getting upgraded. He said it should not be done while we are in negotiations. Commissioner Thomas Curley said approving this resolution would not have an adverse impact on negotiations. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to table the motion. Ayes: three; Nays: two (Commissioners Michael Lenz and Thomas Curley). Motion approved. Commissioner Thomas Curley said that tabling this motion and not approving the resolution does a disservice to these City employees. Traffic Department Update Commissioner Thomas Curley reported that the City has seen an increase in the amount of tickets issued over the last year. He said to date 4,064 tickets have been issued by the traffic safety department which is an increase of 1,400 tickets over last year. He said since hiring the new traffic safety officers tickets Page 12 of 13 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, December 19, 2000 have gone from 695 to 1,255 over the same time period from 1999 and 2000. He said that truck tickets from last year over this time period were 349 but have now risen to 529. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked about the revenues generated by these tickets. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he did not have that information available this evening. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked about the 53 foot trucks and how many tickets have been issued in that area. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he did not have that specific data this evening. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would like to see that information since citizens are asking about the truck length. Commissioner Thomas Curley said since there has been a signage change on West Avenue, there has been a reduction in the amount of 53 foot trucks traveling along Washington Street. He reminded Council members that this is a component-based solution and this was just one of the components. Executive Session Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to adjourn to executive session at 8:50 p.m. Ayes all. Council members returned at 9:15 p.m. Dennis vs. City Lawsuit (00-253) Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Michael Lenz seconded to approve the settlement in Dennis vs. City lawsuit furthering noting that under the terms and conditions imposed by the court that the settlement not be discussed publicly. Ayes all. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to adjourn the meeting at 9:15 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Kenneth Klotz adjourned the meeting at 9:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Moran Clerk Approved: Page 13 of 13