City Council

City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2001 Present: Commissioner of Finance, Michael Lenz Commissioner of Public Works, Thomas McTygue Commissioner of Public Safety, Thomas Curley Commissioner of Accounts, Bernard Mirling Absent: Mayor Kenneth Klotz Staff Present: City Attorney Jeffrey Wait Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown Deputy Commissioner Bruce Brown Deputy Commissioner Robert King Deputy Commissioner Carol Kennedy Also Present: Supervisor Phil Klein Supervisor Anthony Scirocco Call To Order: Commissioner Michael Lenz called the meeting to order on behalf of Mayor Klotz at 7 pm. Commissioner Curley asked the council if he could move the discussion on the 911 system up on the agenda to accommodate the presenter PUBLIC SAFETY 911 System Commissioner Curley explained that during the past year, he has been looking as systems that could be used if there is a serious situation in Saratoga Springs that requires evacuation or the attention of the members of this community. He said he learned about the Community Alert Network (CAN) which is a service rather than equipment. He introduced Patrick Wren to give an overview of the service. Mr. Wren said that the company has been in existence since 1981 and is in its 20th year providing emergency and non-emergency communications throughout the country. He said that CAN provides a unique computer driven telephone warning and personnel recall service. He said that the system has the ability to call large numbers of people including emergency response personnel in a short period of time using over 250 lines. He said that the system is set up in one capacity or another in 39 states and Canada, in 650 communities. He said that the system is capable of notifying people by telephone, computer and radio. Page 1 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 He said the system can make 256 simultaneous telephone calls, 15,000 calls per hour, and its messages can translated into 140 languages. He said that the system is extremely flexible in that it can call only one number if required. He said that a comprehensive report indicating the results of a calling session including the number of calls made, the number of calls delivered and to whom, is faxed immediately after the conclusion of an incident. He said that some of the advantages include the fact that there is no equipment to purchase, lease or maintain; no additional personnel to hire, train or retrain; no complicated procedures because one call activates CAN with a secure client identification process. He said that reports and databases issued and maintained by the company and stations are manned 24/7. He said that the City could set up individual lists such as a list of Firefighters, Policemen; handicapped people, and the possible applications go on and on. Patrick Wren explained that with one call to a company and the firefighters are notified. He said 100 calls or less is no charge, but there is detailed pricing information in the booklet that he distributed to the council. He said that the set up fee is $10,900 and a -year contract is $5,400 with an additional charge of twenty-five cents per call. He said that the system would grid out the entire City with any necessary parameters stipulated at the inception of the contract. Patrick Wren gave the example that Commissioner McTygue could call each area that is to be plowed to notify people to move their cars, and there would be no charge if there were less than one hundred calls. Commissioner Curley said that current events had provoked the idea for such a system as this one. He said that the County has been thinking about a system, but it is preliminary and would probably be at least two or three years before it is in place. He said that there are many practical applications for this system including contacting shut-ins and for water problems. He said that this could be put into next year’s budget considerations, and this presentation gives the council an idea of the system and its capabilities. Commissioner McTygue asked about the 25 cents per call over the annual fee. He asked if Commissioner Curley had considered cost sharing with other organizations. Commissioner Lenz said that might be a good idea to approach other organizations about the benefits of the system. Commissioner McTygue suggested that Commissioner Curley form a committee of possible cost sharers to study the system and financial options. MAYOR’S DEPARTMENT Proclamation (01-196) WHEREAS, domestic violence is a leading cause of injury to women in our country. Its effects upon individuals, families, and communities is harsh and lasting. It is an abuse that transforms the secure homes and families we cherish into sources of fear and suffering, and Page 2 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 WHEREAS, acts of domestic violence frequently go unreported. Mistaken beliefs about privacy or reluctance to become involved in another family's business can prolong the emotional trauma and pain of countless women, children, and elderly persons. The importance of public awareness of the devastating consequences of domestic violence cannot be overemphasized, NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kenneth Klotz, Mayor of the City of Saratoga Springs, hereby proclaim the month of October as DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH IN OUR City, and call upon all citizens to work with law enforcement professionals, educators, government officials, and each other to report incidents of domestic violence and help stop these injuries to our friends and neighbors. Recreation Department: Report/Bob Spratt Robert Spratt, a member of the Recreation Commission reported on the status of the Recreation Department. He said that as of September, $ 665,000 has been collected which represents 65% of the Department's 2001 projected revenue. He said that $245,000 is projected to be collected during the remainder of this fiscal year. He said that recreational, skateboarding and summer programs have exceeded the initial budget projection and can be attributed to an increase in fees as well as some increases in participation. He said that the Recreation Department has expended 67% of its available funding through September and are constantly monitoring and reviewing expenditure to ensure that they continue to operate within the allocated funding. He said that the Recreation office is currently utilizing the MUNIS system for their accounting/reporting and is working with the Deputy Commissioner of Finance to establish account codes to meet all reporting requirements. He said they anticipate being fully operational on the City system by the start of 2002. He said that department is going to focus on the installation of the cash registers and training of staff over the next few months. He noted that their proposed budget for fiscal year 2002 has been submitted and will be reviewed in the budget workshops. Bob Spratt said that with the loss of the use of the State Armory for the boys and girls' basketball and lacrosse, Recreation Director Linda Terricola has made some progress accommodating these programs in other facilities. He reported that Linda has been talking with Bob Stulmaker of Saratoga High School to secure additional time at the Jr./Sr. High School for basketball. He said she has obtained Division Street School for one night a week, and Skidmore college, in addition to the High School, Dorothy Nolan School, Geyser Road School, Wilton Recreation facility and the YMCA on Gick Road. He said Page 3 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 that with Skidmore College, however, there still exists some scheduling difficulties and the only solution at this time is to extend the basketball programs through the end of March and eliminate one lacrosse program but Linda is trying to secure more facilities to alleviate that situation. Bob Spratt reported that compared to last year's figures, the participation of city residents increased three percent to 49%, and school district (non-city) residents participation increased five per cent to 33%. He stated that there has been a seven per cent decrease in participation of the non-city, non-school district residents from 25 % to 18% which he said is due to the additional fees assessed to that category this year. He said that this data is to be used to formulate next year's fee structure to be submitted for City Council for approval. Mr. Spratt reported that the soccer program on Gilbert Road is very successful since the leasing of this property and the diligent work of DPW has resulted in 23 fields placed on this property. He said the inception of this program led to parking problems along Gilbert Road which demanded immediate action, so the Department of Public Works set up on on- site parking lot to accommodate over 250 cars which solved the parking issue but created a problem with the cars exiting the lot. He said that temporarily Linda Terricola, Deputy Commissioner Brown and William McTygue assisted in directing exiting traffic but not everyone is heeding their directions. He said that the recreation Commission and the Recreation Director intend to meet with members of the Public Safety Department to resolve this issue. Linda Terricola said that last Saturday morning, gunshots were heard during the games and these prompted several calls to the Recreation Department and to the Police Department. She said that the games have been suspended for the next few days in order to investigate the source and to see if there could be future problems. She said the soccer program is slated to continue through the second week in November. Commissioner McTygue said he spoke to the property owners who were allowing duck and bird hunting on east portion of their property. He said he talked to Deputy Commissioner of Public Works Bruce Brown and he said that the property owner has left the area so no one should be out there. Commissioner Curley said he would place a Police Officer on the property when the children are on the soccer fields. Commissioner McTygue said that he asked the owner not to have any shooting going on when the children are on the soccer fields. Commissioner Curley said he will have a Police Officer posted on Saturday and that Officer will also help with the people exit the parking lot after the games. Mr. Spratt announced that the next Recreation Commission is Thursday at 7:00 pm at the East Side Recreation Field in the field house. Recreation: Skidmore Contract (01-197) Linda Terricola, Recreation director said that she received a letter from Tim Brown, Athletic Director of Skidmore College, who requested to revise the City’s contract with Page 4 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 Skidmore to use the gymnasium from thirty-five dollars per hour to ten dollars per hour. Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the newly revised Skidmore Contract as presented. Ayes all Announcement: Saratoga County Chamber Respite Program Commissioner Lenz said that Florence Lis, City Payroll Administrator and Linda Benton, Executive Assistant to the Mayor, are running this program in City Hall.. He said that the program in being run in remembrance of last month's tragedy, and is a program of collecting donations from employees to raise money for meals to the New York City Police and Firefighters and families who will be coming to Saratoga Springs for three-day visits. He said that every penny of a donation goes to the visiting families; there are no administrative costs. Commissioner Lenz said on behalf of Mayor Ken Klotz that the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce is running this program and the City Council heartily supports this effort. Confirmation of Vote by Memorandum: Traffic Consultant (01-198) This motion concerns the Excelsior Park project at 264 Excelsior Avenue. Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to confirm the vote done by memorandum to authorize the Mayor to sign a professional service contract with Creighton Manning Engineering for an amount not to exceed $3,500 and to authorize the Commissioner of Finance to establish an escrow account in funds from the Excelsior Park applicant to pay the consultant. Ayes all Authorization for ZBA to Select/Hire Consultant to Assist Review of Cell Tower Application (01-199) Commissioner Lenz said that the City Council received a recommendation from the officers of the Zoning Board of Appeals to retain the professional services of Mark F. Hutchins, Radio-frequency Engineer, to assist the Zoning Board in its review of the application by SBA for a use variance to construct a telecommunications tower on Crescent Avenue near Exit 14. He explained that the project applicant has agreed to pay the cost of these professional services and will establish an initial escrow account in the amount of $2,000. Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded for authorization for the Mayor to sign a professional service contract with Mark F. Hutchins and to authorize the Commissioner of Finance to establish an escrow account in funds from the SBA applicant to pay the consultant. Ayes all Announcement: West Side/U Albany Workshop Brad Birge announced that as one of the City's 2001 Community Block Grant Activities, the university at Albany Planning Department is conducting a Graduate-level Planning Studio on the possibilities for the continuing revitalization of Saratoga's West Side neighborhood. He said that the semester long project will address the needs and Page 5 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 opportunities concerning the Beekman Street mixed-use corridor, neighborhood gateways, auto/pedestrian circulation, zoning and land use, housing strategies, and illustrated architectural design guidelines. He said that the details of the project will be explained and community input will be solicited at the Introduction and Workshop meeting on Wednesday October 17 at 7:30 pm. at the Italian American Club on Grand Avenue. Announcement: First-Time Homebuyer Education Seminars and Grant Program Brad Birge, Director of Community Development announced a First-Time HomeBuyer Education Seminar and Grant Program to be held Wednesday October 24 at 7:00 pm in the Glasby Room of the Saratoga Springs Public Library. He said that as another one of the City's 2001 Community Development Block Grant activities the Cornell Cooperative Extension will begin the first of a revolving series of free homebuyer education seminars on topics including credit/debt management, minor home repairs, household budgeting, finding/choosing a home, and assorted financing opportunities. He said that while these seminars are open to all those interested, participants that successfully complete this course and meet federal income eligibility requirements may be eligible for an $8,000 grant for closing costs and down payment assistance to purchase a home in Saratoga Springs. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Approval of October 2, 2001 City Council Minutes Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the City Council minutes of the October 2, 2001 meeting. Ayes all Discussion: ESCOT Report Recreation Department Commissioner Mirling said that this item is more of an announcement than a discussion. He said he wanted to announce that the report is complete and has been submitted to his office. He said that the report has been circulated to the Mayor, Commissioners and the Recreation Commission. He said that he wanted to take a careful look at the report and discuss it to see what needs to be done, and what actions the Department, the Recreation Commission and the City Council need to take in order to improve services, efficiency and function within this department. Discussion: City Energy Purchases Commissioner Mirling said that in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, the City has an opportunity to get involved in an Energy Alliance that is widely used in other areas that get their electricity through Niagara Mohawk. He said that this alliance provides an opportunity to save one to one and a half percent on energy bills. He said that there is also a similar opportunity concerning the use of natural gas. Commissioner Mirling explained that he wanted to make the City Council aware of this opportunity. He said he would submit the required paperwork and he will ask Christine Gillmett-Brown for the Niagara Page 6 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 Mohawk account information and then he will process the paperwork in order to outline a projection of savings. He said that this is an opportunity to save the City several thousand dollars. FINANCE DEPARTMENT Approve Payrolls Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the payroll for 10/05/01 in the amount of $ 315,604.58 and for 10/12/01 in the amount of $310,062.23. Ayes all Approve Warrants Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the following warrants: 2OCT01 – Warrant 2 – 28 General Fund $ 264,933.87 City Center Authority 3,129.41 Water Fund 12,038.81 Sewer Fund 1,560.37 Capital Projects Fund 38,395.46 Special Assessment District 6,850.00 Trust Fund 8,471.25 Debt Service -0- Community Development 720.09 Total Warrant $ 336,099.26 Ayes all MC100201 – WARRANT 2 General Fund $ 324.39 City Center Authority -0- Water Fund -0- Sewer Fund -0- Capital Project -0- Special Assessment District -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development -0- Total Warrant $ 324.39 Ayes all MC011010 – WARRANT 2 - 5 General Fund $ 69,605.41 City Center Authority 53.84 Water Fund 20,974.31 Page 7 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 Sewer Fund 227.57 Capital Project -0- Special Assessment District -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 38.11 Total Warrant $ 90,899.24 Ayes all MC100201 – WARRANT 2 General Fund $ 792.30 City Center Authority -0- Water Fund -0- Sewer Fund -0- Capital Project -0- Special Assessment District -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development -0- Total Warrant $ 792.30 Ayes all Approve Budget Amendments (See Attached) Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the budget amendments as distributed. Ayes all Approve Budget Transfers (see attached) Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the budget transfers as distributed. Ayes all Discussion 2002 Budget Commissioner Lenz said that per the City Charter, the budget estimates were distributed October 15. He said that he has moved some of the line items into the areas/departments that have control over them, such as Life Insurance, contingency contracts, Risk Management. He said that a portion of contingency was moved to the Department of Public Safety budget. He said that there is an enormous gap of eleven million dollars so there is a lot of work to do. He said that the City Council needs to put together a budget that is fair to everyone and meets the needs of the City and the people. Commissioner Lenz said that he wants the first budget workshop to be open to the public, and depending upon the Mayor's health he would like to schedule it for Tuesday October 23 at 6:30 pm. He said that at the first Page 8 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 workshop, the council would review each Department's budget line by line and seek justification for spending increases to help with putting together the final proposal. Commissioner McTygue suggested that the Finance Commissioner meet with each Commissioner individually to help pare it down prior the public meeting. Commissioner Lenz said that he has tried to make the budget sessions as open as possible, including posting the proposed budgets on the City's website. He said that doing this would assist people to speak with knowledge on budget issues, especially at public hearings. Commissioner Lenz requested that minutes be taken at the first budget workshop and he invited the public to come and listen Tuesday, October 23 at 6:30 pm. Commissioner Mirling said that he wants to ensure that what is done as a council member is to assure voters that City accounts and finances are being controlled honestly with the utmost integrity. He said that he is appalled at articles in the local newspaper that could only serve to obfuscate and confuse City taxpayers. Commissioner Mirling said for example there is a report in today's newspaper that said his budget nearly doubled from last year due to the fact that Commissioner Lenz transferred $455,0000 of the Finance budget into the Accounts budget. Commissioner Mirling said that he actually submitted a budget request that reflected a 15% decrease. Commissioner Mirling said that falsely representing budget information is not new. He said that a simple answer might be to release the figures that were originally submitted to the Press. He said he tried to come up with a good budget that was fair to the taxpayers and in return it was represented in the press as an increase close to 100% over last year. Commissioner Lenz said that he received the Accounts budget on October 12. He said he mentioned to reporters that he did not want to talk about projections. He said that insurance encompasses huge line items that need to be moved into the Departments that administer those funds. He said he did not want this to be a political issue. He said that every one of those budget lines involves figures that were provided by the Department of Accounts and the Department of Accounts controls these line items so they have been moved for accountability and control. He said he sent Commissioner a memo that explained what was done and why. Commissioner Mirling said that it was a devious way to go about it in an election year to suddenly opt to transfer line items that have been in the Finance Budget for twenty years, to tell the press before contacting his office and then the press reflects that the Accounts budget has increased by 100%. Commissioner Mirling said that an article in the New York Times indicated that based upon the terrorist attacks of September 11, insurance rates could increase a standard 15 to 25% or they could increase as much as 50%. He said there is no way to know how realistic his projections are, and it is necessary to explain to the public that insurance costs are likely to increase across the nation. He said that what is needed in this process is clarity and meaning. Page 9 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 Commissioner Lenz said that he does not want to have a line item in his budget that he does not have control over. 3rd Quarter Financial Report Deputy Finance Commissioner Christine Gillmett Brown distributed the third quarter financial report to the members of the City Council. She said that the City should be at 75% of the projected expenditures, and is actually at 72%. She said that all departments have come in line, and she encouraged everyone to continue to monitor the budget over the next three months. She said that monitoring one's budget closely for changes to get a sense for the 2002 budget. Deputy Brown indicated that on page three of the report is a summary of the main revenue streams. She said that some amounts are up, some are down. She said that the line item of Interest and penalty on property taxes has gone down which is a positive thing because it means that people are paying their taxes on time and there is less delinquency. Resolution Disaster Recovery – Supervisors Scirocco and Klein (01-200) Commissioner Lenz read a resolution of October 16, 2001 from the office of the Commissioner of Finance on Disaster Recovery WHEREAS, On September 5, 2001, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors announced that the City of Saratoga Springs will receive $ 50,000.00 in federal grant funding for storm drain extensions AND WHEREAS, The extension will improve flood management and access to the Westside Recreation Fields and the Division Street Elementary School. AND WHEREAS, Supervisors Scirocco and Klein obtained the grant under a Disaster Recovery Initiative administered by the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. AND WHEREAS, the funds will assist the City in paying for the $366,343 Westside Drainage Project in the Bensonhurst Avenue area of the City. AND WHEREAS, Supervisors Scirocco and Klein were able to have $9,000.00 of the County's administrative portion waived so the City can benefit from the entire $50,000. BE IT RESOLVED, the City Council of the City of Saratoga Springs graciously accepts the grant from Supervioosors Scirocco and Klein. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the $50,000.00 will be used to pay down a portion of the $366.343 outstanding bond anticipation note prior to bonding, increasing the amount available to bond under the Connolly plan by $50,000.00. Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to accept the $50,000 to pay down a portion of the $366,343 outstanding bond anticipation note prior to bonding, and increasing the amount available to bond under the Connolly plan by $50,000.00. Ayes all Supervisor Klein presented the check and give a grief presentation, history and background. Mr. Scirocco explained that on June 23, 2000 the New York State HTFC under DIR started an initiative for communities. The projects must meet objectives established by Housing and Community Development. Supervisors Klein and Scirocco put together a proposal and submitted it to HUD . Supervisor Scirocco explained that the premise of the grant submission was that the extensions of the storm drains will improve Page 10 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 flood management and access to the Westside Recreation Fields and the Division Street Elementary School, because the standing water was potentially a major health hazard so financial assistance was sought to help the City fund the capital project. Commissioner McTygue said that they had gone ahead with this very essential project out of dire necessity and he expressed appreciation for the assistance from the County Supervisors. Executive Session – Legal Matter and Personnel Matter Commissioner Lenz requested an executive session to discuss a personnel matter. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Discussion & Approval – Creation of Water District Commissioner McTygue said that He is requesting the creation of a water district east of the Northway at the request of residents there. He said that in order to accomplish this, a local law is necessary. He requested that a public hearing be scheduled Tuesday November 20 at 6:00 PM. He said that he had a meeting with the residents of this area and 41 of the 58 residents involved attended the meeting. Commissioner McTygue called upon Public Works Director Bill McTygue to explain the situation. Bill McTygue said that the residents now have a private water service. He said that it was brought to his attention that the conditions of the Gilbert Road Water Company that services this area of Conver Drive and Mystic Lane were not good. He said the New York State Department of Health had to issue a "Boil Water" mandate to those using that private water company. He said that the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) regulates any water authority and states that they must be in constant communication with the operator of that system. Bill McTygue explained that conditions of the water service deteriorated so much that residents called the City Department of Public Works (DPW) to seek advise regarding some form of future relief. He said that DPW had always thought that someday because of growth in that area the City lines may have to eventually be brought to that area. He said that Public Works is serious about establishing a water district to serve this area. He said that Commissioner McTygue, Deputy Commissioner Brown and he met with the area's residents on October 11 to exchange information and discuss the situation. He said that at this meeting, Mike Shaw from the Glens Falls office of the New York State Department of Health gave a report on the status of this water system and its conditions. He said that the boil water issuance is still in place and the City is ready to move ahead with the procedure of establishing a water district. He said that the residents are in support and they are willing to pick up the capital costs accordingly. Bill said that in the next several weeks his office will be busy drawing up the necessary papers. Page 11 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 He explained that because a local law is necessary for this process, a public hearing is mandatory. Commissioner McTygue set the Public Hearing for Tuesday November 20 at 6:00 pm. He said this will allow the residents to express their concerns and it will allow for the City Council to hear all of the facts and information from all the entities involved including the City Attorney, the City Engineer, DPW, and the NYSDOH. Commissioner McTygue said that it might be necessary to have two Public Hearings on this issue. He said that the process must start now, because he wants to be sure there is full agreement before any municipal water is brought to this area. He said that there is a blue print in place because this was done in Knoll Spring Park. Bill McTygue said the line will be similar to the transmission line to Knoll Spring Park. Commissioner McTygue said that the Department of Health has initiated some fines pertaining to the private water system. Bill McTygue said that the problems surfaced due to general lack of good operating and maintenance procedures. Discussion: Abandoned Buildings in the City Commissioner McTygue said he had a couple of properties to discuss tonight, 65 Phila Street and 195 Division Street. Commissioner Curley said that the City Code Inspectors were in attendance to update the City Council on the situation with these particular parcels. Kevin Veitch said that 65 Phila Street is totally secured. He said that some work was contracted out by the Department of Public Safety to clean out over growth, so the property is now more visible. He said that the owners are in Brooklyn and not communicating. He said that their attorney is going to court every two weeks and the fines are up to one hundred dollars per day. He said that there is a hearing scheduled in order to be able to allow fines to increase to one thousand dollars ($1,000) per day. Kevin Veitch said that these are motivational tactics because there is a need to be aggressive. He said that when the over growth was cleared off this property, an abandoned septic system was discovered in the back and it is weak. He said there is always problems with break-ins. He said that people were arrested and removed from the property but then they broke in again to retrieve their belongings. He explained that as these buildings are cleaned up, the transients are forced to move from the building into another abandoned building. Kevin Veitch said that another aspect of 65 Phila is the property at 67 Phila Street. He said that the owners of 67 Phila might buy the property at 65 Phila Street. He said they have two sets of plans, one that incorporates 65 Phila Street and one that does not. He said that two weeks ago, the attorney thought he was close to getting the owner of 67 Phila Street to sign for 65 Phila Street. He said they know what they have to do to 65 Phila Street. Commissioner McTygue said that they have work of their own to do. Kevin Veitch said that they are going to start on the roof of 67 Phila. Commissioner McTygue asked if they have hired a contractor and Kevin Veitch said they have hired both a contractor and an architect. He said that next week the roof will be done but the progress at 67 is not as fast as promised. Page 12 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 Commissioner Curley said that if roof work is started that is a good thing. He said that a new service was brought to the building. He said that the collapsing roof is a hazard to neighbors. He explained that the people at 67 Phila Street thought they had a clear title when they bought it but they discovered that there was thirty thousand dollars owed on the property in back taxes. He said they paid the back taxes, but doing so put a large dent in the money they intended to use to bring the property up to code. He said that when these owners show up, meet, walk and talk with City representatives, it is hard to be aggressive with these cooperative residents. Commissioner McTygue agreed and said the positive indicator is that there is continued progress. Commissioner Curley said that he does not want to discourage any positive change. Kevin Veitch said that he wanted the City Council and the public to understand that abandoned buildings are not the only thing that the Code Inspectors deal with. He said that they have to deal with excess garbage on properties, people that have no heat, and so forth. He said they have to spend a lot of time with a lot of people and with nineteen subdivisions in this community, there is one problem after another. Kevin Veitch said that he wants to help clean out some of these properties and he thinks that they are getting the work out and the pressure is on. He said that people living near these properties shouldn't have to deal with these situations. Commissioner McTygue said that another concern that he has with 65 Phila Street is that the water should be shut off on the property. He said that it is the property owners responsibility, but the City may have to go to the main. Code Inspector Dan Cogan said that during his past two years in the Department of Safety they have become much more aggressive and it has been a successful tactic as far as bringing property into compliance. Commissioner McTygue said that many of these parcels have been long standing problems and they are being brought to action. Dan said that in regard to 195 Division Street the owners have died and left the property in estate. He said that their attorney has mowed the lawn and secured the property at his own expense. He said that they structurally inspected the building and it is shifting and deteriorated to the point of being declared an unsafe structure. He said that it is a long process, that they must follow the due process of the law. He said that the attorney has been cooperating with Code Enforcement and working on the property. He said that the survey for asbestos has been completed and they are waiting for test results. He said then, asbestos abatement requirements will be met, and it is anticipated that the building will be torn down in November. Commissioner McTygue asked about the status of property on the corner of Grand Avenue and Beekman Street. Dan Cogan said that it is on the back burner. He said that a new owner has bought it, and the site is now clean and the building secure. He said this is progress because the site was a major eyesore. Commissioner McTygue mentioned the property at 291 Jefferson Street as a good example of a positive outcome from being aggressive and applying pressure. He said that this property has been cleaned up and sold. He complimented the Code Inspectors on their Page 13 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 efforts and said that the desired results are to either bring the property into compliance or it is sold and rehabilitated. He said that they need to work together and move forward in a positive manner. Kevin Veitch complimented the Deputy Commissioner of Public Works, Bruce Brown on his efforts and assistance in getting these properties cleaned up. Ratification of Previously Approved Expenditures: Commissioner McTygue said that he is requesting City Council approval for the following expenditures that have been previously approved by memo: 1. Allerdice – Steel Doors for Water Plant (01-201) Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to purchase steel doors for the chlorine room at the Water Plant for safety reasons in the amount of $3,388. He explained that this was approved at the last City Council meeting however the amount was fifty dollars ($50.00) less than it should have been. Ayes all 2. Hawk Well Drilling – Pump and Tank for Rec (01-202) Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the expenditure to Hawk Well Drilling for the pump and storage tank for the PBA recreation fields in the amount of $4,609.13. He said the money is in the budget for this. Ayes all 3. Loss Prevention – Video Equipment for Weibel Avenue Rec (01-203) Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the expenditure to Loss Prevention Experts for the purchase and installation of video equipment in the Weibel Avenue Ice Rink in the amount of $1,141.50. He said that the money is in the budget for this. Ayes all 4. Cathedral Stone – Old Reservoir in Park (01-204) Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the expenditure to Cathedral Stone Products for materials to rebuild the capstones for the Old Reservoir in Congress Park in the amount of $1,750. He said that the money is in the capital budget for this. Ayes all Commissioner McTygue said he had one more item that for some reason did not get on his agenda. As chairman of the meeting, Commissioner Lenz permitted the item to be added to the Public Works agenda. Approve Waive of water connection fee Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to waive the water connection fee for the Empire Avenue project. Ayes all Commissioner Mirling asked about any precautions that may have been taken to protect the City's water supply in this time of concern. Commissioner McTygue said he was glad Page 14 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 that the question was asked. He said that there are procedures in place pertaining to protection of water sources and the water plants. He said that there are increased patrols by the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Public Works. He said that everyone is doing what they can. He said that without going into detail, he wants to assure the council and the public that through the cooperation of both the Public Safety and the Public Works departments, the situation is under control. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Ratification of Pre-approved Expense (01-205) Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Michael Lenz seconded to approve the expenditure to SMC Networks of Irvine California in the amount of $1,541.70. He said that this service will increase the speed in filling out mandated state reports, and the money is in the budget for this. Ayes all 911 System This item was discussed at the beginning of the evening, right after the Call to Order. County/City Hazmat Team Update Commissioner Curley called upon County Supervisor Phil Klein to update the council on the Hazmat truck program. Phil Klein said that the County has reviewed specifications for the Hazmat vehicle. He said that it will take about one year to put the truck in place. He said that the County will move ahead in cooperation with the Saratoga Springs Fire Department to be trained in the Hazmat procedures. He said that by the time the truck arrives, training will be up to par and they can start training with the truck, in the use of the vehicle. He said that all shifts of the department will be trained in each process including billing, responding, so as not to incur overtime. He said that in using the vehicle, the procedure depends on where the problem is located. He said that an example is that in Clifton Park a Hazmat trailer is available, so it would probably not be necessary for the SSFD to respond to a situation there. He said the Saratoga Springs Fire Department would respond to Hazmat incidents in Saratoga County where reasonable; availability and proximity to Saratoga Springs will be a factor. Commissioner Curley said that the City's a 24-hour availability and being the center of the County makes Saratoga Springs a good choice. He said the City will be prepared to deal with Hazmat situations with the manpower and the training. He said that the funding for this $400,000 expenditure will come from the County. Commissioner Mirling said that the events of September 11 have everyone thinking about hazardous materials in a new light. He asked if there is something that the council needs to do at this time. Commissioner Curley said that both the Police and the Fire Departments are establishing a process to handle certain situations such as anthrax or possible water Page 15 of 16 City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 16, 2001 tampering. He said he would not hesitate to approach the City Council if he needs to. He said that this afternoon there was some training, so the Department of Public Safety will be in position to deal with this. Commissioner McTygue said he wants the public to know that any anonymous letters with no return address on them are not being opened, his staff has been told to dispose of them immediately. Phil Klein commented that the County has an emergency response team that is a phone call away. He said the State is also prepared; they have an emergency plan in place for everything. Commissioner McTygue said that six or seven years ago the City had a problem with the John Rock Dump burning and they had to evacuate that area of the City. He said those procedures are encompassed in the City's disaster plan. EXECUTIVE SESSION Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to go to Executive Session at the request of Commissioner Lenz to discuss a personnel matter. Ayes all ADJOURNMENT Seeing no decisions were made in Executive Session and there was no further business at the council table, Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Lenz closed the City Council meeting at 9:10 PM. Respectfully submitted, Nancy Wagner Clerk Adopted: Page 16 of 16