City Council

CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY COUNCIL ROOM TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2003 6:50 P.M. PRESENT : Commissioner Thomas Curley, DPS Kenneth Klotz, Mayor Commissioner Michael Lenz, Finance Commissioner Thomas McTygue, DPW Commissioner Stephen E. Towne, Accounts ALSO PRESENT: Anthony Scirocco, Supervisor (arrived 7:30 p.m.) ABSENT: Phil Klein, Supervisor STAFF PRESENT : Bruce Brown, Deputy Commissioner, DPW Christine Gillmett-Brown, Deputy Commissioner, Finance Debbie Harper, Deputy Commissioner, Accounts Bob King, Deputy Commissioner, DPS Hank Kuczynski, Deputy Mayor (arrived 8:30 p.m.) Jeff Wait, City Attorney PUBLIC HEARING Water & Sewer Rates Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he was recommending that the 2003 water rate be increased from the minimum charge of $20.30 to $20.90 which represented a $.60 cent increase per quarter. He said he was also proposing that the sewer flat rate charge be dropped from $90.80 to $79.50 which represented a decrease of $15.30 per quarter. He said seasonal homes would be the homes that would be most effected by the sewer rate change. He pointed out that it had been eight years since the last increase in water rates. He said the water budget had increased by more than $80,000 over the last several years due to salary and benefits. He said this increase would offset about $40,000 of that $80,000. Commissioner Stephen Towne asked if this estimate had been based on the existing number of homes. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said actually the $80,000 would not be offset by $40,000 because this increase would not take effect until the second quarter of billing. He said it would likely generate about $30,000. Commissioner Stephen Towne asked if the estimated revenues were based on existing homes. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said yes. Commissioner Stephen Towne said potentially the revenue could be more. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said not necessarily. He said his department is strongly pursuing conservation of water. He said they have already met with the major users and have encouraged NYRA to look at installing some wells. He said Skidmore has installed water saver shower heads. He then distributed information showing that the City has been pumping less and less water over the last several years, even though there has been an increase in homes. He also noted that the leak detection company found several leaks not only the City lines but homeowner lines as well. He said this recommended increase would not be a large revenue producer for the City. Mayor Kenneth Klotz opened the public hearing. There being no one wishing to speak, Mayor Kenneth Klotz closed the public hearing. PUBLIC COMMENT Page 1 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Mayor Kenneth Klotz said tonight would be the first opportunity for the public to speak to the Council on items that are not listed on the agenda. He said under the old privilege of the floor, the topic must have been listed on the agenda in order for an individual to address the Council. He said the new charter encourages a public comment period and tonight would begin a trial period. He said there was an informal decision to experiment with the public comment period being held at the beginning of the meeting, limiting it to 15 minutes and 3 minutes per individual. Mayor Kenneth Klotz opened the public comment period. There being no one interested in speaking, Mayor Kenneth Klotz closed the public comment period. MAYOR =S OFFICE Tyler Justin, Waldorf School -- Presentation Tyler Justin said he became interested in the City government during the recent boathouse application. He said he was in City Hall last week for an internship program for the day and he wanted to share his observations with the Council. He said he was somewhat hesitant about coming to City Hall, because he assumed there would be a lot of paper pushing, however, it was just the opposite. He said there was a lot of contact with many local organizations throughout the community. He said he was completely amazed that every time he asked a question, City Hall employees knew the answer. He said everyone knew their jobs quite well. He said the Commissioners made wise choices when appointing their Deputies. He said this was a good experience for him and he was very glad that he had this opportunity. Jennifer Haynes High School Post Prom Party B Presentation Jennifer Haynes said the Saratoga Springs High School Prom will be held on May 17 and a group had been formed to work on an after the prom party. She said they found that many students did not have any appropriate place to go after the prom and this would be a way for the fun to continue. She said she was here this evening to advertise this party and to seek support and donations from the community. She said they have surveyed the students and there is a strong interest in this party. She said there is also support from the teachers and the many school organizations. She said they were hoping this would be an annual event. She said they are still looking for contributions and donations and asked that anyone interested in doing so to contact her mom Barbara Haynes. Letter from Chamber B Select Energy Savings Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he received a letter from Joe Dalton, Chamber of Commerce, congratulating the City on saving more than $15,000 in energy costs last year. He said this had been an ongoing topic of discussion but wanted to remind everyone of the benefits of belonging to the Chamber. Citizen Advisory Committee Recommendations for 2003 Entitlement Action Plan Brad Birge said the Citizen Advisory Committee, was at this time, presenting its recommendations to the Council and was asking that a public hearing be set for the next Council meeting. It was agreed the public hearing would be set for April 15 at 6:50 p.m. Brad Birge informed Council members that there was agreement on the proposed 2003 allocations. He said there is $516,165 available in 2003 funds and $61,000 from previous years= funds available for reprogramming. Richard Ferguson, chair of the committee, thanked all of the committee members for their many hours of work. He noted that many of the committee members have served on this committee for several years. He said this process began in December with presentations and public hearings being held in February and March. He said there were three successive meetings after the public hearings to trim the requests from the original 20 to 14. Page 2 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Commissioner Thomas McTygue commended the committee for their work. He said he had attended one of these meetings and found the committee members to be very well informed of the projects and the process. He said the applicants under this program have put together very good packages. South Franklin Street Subordination B Confirmation of Approval by Memo (03-055) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to confirm the recent approval by memo for the subordination agreement for Karen DeCoteau. Ayes all. Economic Development Loan Application B Hunter Hollow Holdings, Inc. (03-056) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the loan application from Hunter Hollow Holdings, Inc., under the Economic Development Revolving Loan fund. Brad Birge explained that the City has a revolving loan fund which was created through the block grant fund program. He said it was meant to allow loans for small businesses on a case by case basis. He said one of the stipulations of obtaining a loan is that the business must create at least one job for every $25,000 borrowed. Brian Hanrahan said he had assisted the City for many years in working with the applicant in applications for this program. He explained that this particular applicant was an equine veterinarian. He said this was a specialized field and very important to this area during the summer months. He said during the winter months though it was slow. He said the applicant is requesting some working capital during this slow period. He said these funds would allow the company to continue to mature. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if this was a short term loan. Brian Hanrahan said this loan will have a five year pay back. Commissioner Stephen Towne said he had spoken to both Brad Birge and Rich Ferguson on this matter. He said it was his understanding that this loan was based on an appraised value that was somewhat higher than normal. Rich Ferguson said if this was a traditional loan with a bank the bank the criteria used for determining eligibility for the loan would be based on the outstanding debt and collateral. Rich Ferguson said the bank would have some difficultly with this loan. He said though that this loan was an excellent fit for this program because the underlying philosophy for the program was for the City to take on a little extra risk under the guise of assisting an important industry in the community. He said there are positive factors in approving this loan. He pointed out that with the assistance of bank and Community Development funds this business was allowed to be created and this additional small loan will allow it to continue to grow. He further noted that the closest locations for this type of facility are Tufts or Cornell. He said this business has grown and has been profitable and this small loan will get them through this period. He said they have had an excellent experience with these individuals and strongly recommended the Council approve this request. Commissioner Stephen Towne said this loan appears to be more highly leveraged than normal and that was his reason for questioning the application. He said he also understood that the motive for the City is not profiting from the loan but rather the economic development of the community. He said it was his intention to support this application. Rich Ferguson informed Council members that there have been many of these types of loans and it was his understanding that they have all been successful in repayments. He noted that additional money is also created for this fund through the interest gained on these loans. Ayes all. Recreation Department Donation Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to accept the donation from Stewarts Foundation in the amount of $3,000 for the skate park. Page 3 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Linda Terricola said this was the largest donation of this type that they have received. She said she was hoping that additional funds would also come from the WGY Foundation. Ayes all . Recreation Department B 2003 Facility Usage (03-057) Linda Terricola said it had been a difficult preseason because of space. She said that facilities they had been using are no longer available. She said it was difficult for her and her staff, however, she commended her staff for being able to find new space. She thanked both the Mayor=s Office and DPW for their assistance in this matter. She also noted that Skip Carlson, Equine Center, had donated the use of their polo facility for the City =s soccer program. She said because of donations such as this, the programs will now be able to run and no one will be turned away. She said she had previously distributed the facility usage list and asked that the Council approve the list. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the Updated Facility Usage List for Insurance for 2003. Ayes all. Red Cross Month Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he had received a letter last week noting that March was Red Cross Month. Urban Heritage Area Donations (03-058) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to accept the donation from News Channel 9 in the amount of $2,000 as corporate sponsorship for the Multicultural Series Program. He said they will also donate an additional 1,000 for in kind advertisement purposes. Ayes all. Street Numbering -- The Springs Mayor Kenneth Klotz withdrew this item from discussion. National Submarine Day Remembrance Ceremony Mayor Kenneth Klotz said on April 11 at the County Complex in Ballston Spa there will be a National Submarine Day Remembrance Ceremony at 1:00 p.m. He encouraged Council members to attend. (Anthony Scirocco arrived.) ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Approval of City Council Meeting Workshop Minutes of March12, 2003 Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the March 12, City Council meeting workshop minutes. Ayes all. Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes of March 18, 2003 Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the March 18 City Council meeting minutes noting the changes as listed in his March 31 memorandum. Mayor Kenneth Klotz requested a minor change on page 12 of the minutes. Council members agreed. Page 4 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Ayes all. Award of Bid B Pre-Cast Manholes, Catch Basins, Drywells and Frames & Covers Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works, Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to award the bid for Precast Manholes, Catchbasins, Drywells and Frames & Covers to The Fort Miller Company for various prices (low bidder). This bid has been reviewed by the Purchasing Department and meets the City =s purchasing guidelines. Ayes all. Award of Bid B Water & Sewer Pipe Fittings, Hydrants & Valves Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works, Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to award the bid for Water & Sewer Pipe Fittings, Hydrants & Valves to Vellano Brothers of Latham for various prices (only bidder). This bid has been reviewed by the Purchasing Department and meets the City =s purchasing guidelines. Ayes all. Award of Bid B EMT Supplies Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Safety, Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to award the bid for EMT Supplies to Emergency Medical Products, Inc. in the amount of $5,793.23 (lowest qualified bidder). This bid has been reviewed by the Purchasing Department and meets the City =s purchasing guidelines. Ayes all. Extension of Bid B Tree Removal Service Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works, Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to extend the bid for Tree Removal Service to Tree Care by Stan Hunt, Inc., under the same terms and conditions. This bid has been reviewed by the Purchasing Department and meets the City =s purchasing guidelines. Ayes all. Commissioner of Deeds Appointment Commissioner Stephen Towne announced the appointment of Patsy Berrigan, Civil Service Department, as a Commissioner of Deeds with a term of two years. Business Recovery Presentation Commissioner Stephen Towne introduced the subject of business recovery. He said this was a companion piece or addendum to the emergency plan that had been developed and recently updated by the Departmentof Public Safety. He noted that business recovery and planning processes are very common in commercial enterprises and have as their objective the restoration of essential business functions in the shortest period of time possible. He said at the core of any plan is the information upon which the business operations function. He said these take two forms: hard copy information and electronic information. He said the pursuit of this business recovery topic has been taken up by Nancy Wagner, Records Management Coordinator in the Accounts Department and Kevin Kling the ITS manager in the Finance Department. Kevin Kling said business recovery differs from the City= Emergency Response plan in that it picks up after the public safety issues have been addressed and focuses on the business processes that need to be operational. He said disruptions do not necessarily have to be major. He said this type of plan can cover a single office being damaged as well as the entire operation. He said, for example, if the Recreation Department Office was to burn down, this plan would give them a place to work and access to their information until the offices are usable. He reminded Council members that there was a fire on the third floor of City Hall in 1976 with quite a bit of water damage to the DPS offices. He pointed out that there are railroad tracks running through the City, as well as an operating nuclear reactor less than 10 miles to the west which are both potential hazards. He said there are hosts of other events that could make our offices unusable and reminded Council members that Page 5 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 there was a building in Washington, D.C., with 50 senate offices that was closed for three months due to contamination with anthrax. He said anything that makes our offices inaccessible could have a detrimental effect. Kevin Kling said safety is the primary concern; and if the building became unsafe for any reason, access would obviously be limited or nonexistence. He said there are many questions to be answered such as how employees would be paid, where would the offices be located, how quickly do vendors need to be paid, can we start purchasing new equipment before we have insurance payments to cover those costs and what are our actual legal obligations under these conditions. He said the first step in this process is the collection of information. He said the basic process would involve the selection of a person from each department to be the contact person. He said a questionnaire could then be distributed and based on the replies needs would be determined. He said this would require cooperation from all departments in order for this process to be productive. He said from the information collected it would need to be determined what services are the most important and a priority list that would dictate what the order would be for the restoration of services would be developed. He said along with this we would work out what physical resources we need, such as computer workstations, printers, plotters, and so on. Kevin Kling said we first need to determine how information will be recovered to a usable state and locate off site at temporary work facilities. He said as in any plan the cost versus the benefits also needs to be reviewed. He said we need to focus on the most likely disruptions and base our plans on those. He said, for example, the odds of a fire in City Hall are greater than a nuclear accident that causes an evacuation of the whole county. He said as we look at the costs of dealing with different scenarios we will see that the costs of trying to plan for larger disruptions get more expensive with less value since those scenarios are less likely occur. He said we should also look into alternate sources of funding for this since that may let us start implementation sooner, rather than later. Kevin Kling said that many of the suggestions coming out of this plan may just be minor changes in procedures that will mitigate the damage or at least minimize the time to recover data. He said that some of these changes could be very low or no cost. He said by identifying areas of maximum vulnerability, they can be addressed first reducing the risks. He said we currently have an informal plan in place that concentrates on recovering data getting people access to that data. He said as part of that process we have already purchased redundant hardware that will be kept off site in the event of a disruption and he is in the process of getting this equipment on line at this time. He said this has the added benefit of being a short term spare parts source which reduces maintenance costs and downtime on our live systems. He also noted that he would be attending a workshop later this month in Albany hosted by the NYS Office of Cyber Security. He said he has had informal discussions on using one of the fire stations to keep our spare equipment running off site at all times. He said this would keep the City running at all times problems could be identified and repaired immediately. Nancy Wagner said there would need to be an interview process with key personnel to determine things such as: files essential to job duties, files necessary as reference tools, files recoverable from other sources and files not recoverable. She said there would then need to be a survey of record storage areas in City Hall to review items such as files being stored in vulnerable areas i.e., near furnace, under pipes, near cleaning or pain solvents, in attics. She said solutions then need to be developed concerning those storage issues. She said they also need to finds ways to make files recoverable through microfilming, off-site storage and/or computerization with backups. She said agencies such as NYCOM, State Archives and other municipalities could be of assistance. She said those funding resources would need to be looked at noting that there are grants available from the State Archives for Disaster Recovery. She said there are grants for microfilming, fire suppression, etc. She also noted that simple things such as marking boxes appropriately could save them from fire and/or water damage. She said the business recovery plan should contain of list of emergency contacts, phone numbers, location of equipment, agreements with local business and agencies, etc. Commissioner Stephen Towne said this was a good example of two employees in the City from different departments took the lead on this very important issue. He said it appears that the City may be somewhat ahead of the curve on this matter. He said he believed that the best practices from other municipalities, NYCOM, etc., would be of great assistance in developing this plan. Page 6 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Commissioner Thomas Curley suggested that Nancy Wagner or Kevin Kling contact J. Michael O=Connell, chair of the Emergency Preparedness Committee, for recommendations and/or suggestions. Kevin Kling said this business recovery plan would be an addendum to the Emergency Preparedness Plan. Commissioner Stephen Towne said it was his intention to return to the Council at a later time for further reports and any necessary approvals. Authorization for Mayor to sign agreement with the School District for Voting Machines (03-059) Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Michael Lenz seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the contract between the City and the Saratoga Springs School District for the purpose of lending voting machines for their May 20 vote. He said the City Attorney =s Office and the Insurance Department had reviewed this contract. He said there was no cost involved. Ayes all. Recognition B Cindy May Commissioner Stephen Towne took a few moments to look back on the efforts of a highly appreciated employee. He said Cindy May, Insurance & Asset Coordinator came to the City in October 1985, was hired by Commissioner Edward Valentine, and has served under three Commissioners. He said she retired on Friday, March 28, with nearly 18 years of service to the City. He noted that more than 30 people representing all five City Hall Departments honored Cindy May last Friday in a retirement luncheon at Hurricane Sam=s. He wished Cindy a long and happy retirement and said she would be missed. Risk Manager B Announce & Appoint (03-060) Commissioner Stephen Towne said in June 2002, the Risk Management/Safety Review Committee was formed with the appointment of a number of highly experienced individuals in insurance, risk management and safety related issues. He said those members included representatives from Capital Risk Associates Upstate, Inc., a division of Marshall & Sterling; Sutton & Tarantino Insurance; Ball Metal; Stewarts; Saratoga County Safety Officer; Quadgraphics and D.A. Collins. He said that committee met several times and presented recommendations to the Council on November 4, 2002. He said one of those recommendations included the implementation of a full time Risk Manager position through the consolidation of the part time risk manager and upgrading the insurance coordinator position. He said this was a budget neutral impact. He said the position would have a balance between insurance knowledge and safety & risk management knowledge. Commissioner Stephen Towne said the position was advertised in the local newspaper with our office receiving seven resumes. He said after screening those resumes, Rod Sutton, Harry Buccifero and Debbie Harper conducted preliminary interviews. He said references were sought and he then interviewed the remaining three applicants and selected the individual that he believed has the best balance of safety and risk management background and experience needed to effectively to do this job. He noted that the Civil Service Commission approved this position at their March 27 meeting and the CSEA City Hall Unit also agreed with the Civil Service Commission=s designation of the Risk Manager position as Managerial, Confidential and Policy Influencing. This position is subject to the NYS Civil Service Commission=s review which is scheduled for April. Commissioner Stephen Towne said the last Council meeting on March 18 the Council approved the employment package for this exempt position, except for salary, for the Risk Manager position. He said that position was approved with the following criteria: The position is a management confidential, policy influencing position and is exempt from the City Hall employee union contract but does maintain the following benefits: A. The standard work week of the Risk Manager shall be 40 hours. B. The Risk Manager shall enjoy and be entitled to all of the non-salary benefits regarding: vacation time; sick leave; personal/bereavement leave; holidays; life insurance; health insurance; opt out disability insurance; vision plan; and NYS retirement system as granted in the CSEA bargaining unit of the City Hall employees. C. Annual salary increase corresponding to the CSEA contract. Page 7 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Commissioner Stephen Towne said the only remaining piece of this was to establish a salary. Commissioner Stephen Towne then moved and Commissioner Mike Lenz seconded to establish the salary of the Risk Manager at $50,000 per year. He said the funds are within the Accounts Department budget. Ayes all. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked if this person would fall under the new program of contributing to the health insurance premiums. Commissioner Stephen Towne said yes. Commissioner Stephen Towne then appointed Marilyn Rivers to the Risk Manager position noting the salary and criteria for the position as previously adopted. He said her appointment would be effective April 7, 2003. Marilyn Rivers thanked the Council for her appointment to this position. She said she currently serves as the Risk Manager for McClellan Health Care System. She said she holds a CPC designation which she achieved in 1994. She said she has an Associates Degree in risk management and has worked in health care, insurance as well as doing some work in economic development and grant writing. She said she had been in risk management for many years and had worked on disaster planning and contingency planning. She said she also holds a Bachelors degree in chemistry and a Masters degree in education. Commissioner Stephen Towne welcomed Marilyn Rivers to the City. Safety Committee B Update Commissioner Stephen Towne said on December 3, 2002, he announced the formation of the City=s Safety Committee. He said members on that committee included the City=s Risk Manager; Deputy Commissioners; Deputy Mayor; the yet to be appointed Human Resources Administrator; City Engineer; Lee Miller, NYMIR; Bob Hartman, Saratoga County Safety Officer; and Harry Buccifero, Capital Risk Management/Marshall & Sterling. He said Lee Miller, NYMIR, had served as the chair of that committee on an interim basis but now that he had appointed Marilyn Rivers, she would chair the committee. He said they were charged with establishing goals for 2003, reviewing the City=s safety policies and guidelines, reviewing their role as an Accident Review Board and discussing a Safety Incentive Program. Commissioner Stephen Towne said the committee had met once a month and reports by Lee Miller and Harry Buccifero have been made to the Council. He said Harry Buccifero had intended to give a brief presentation this evening and present a first draft of the Fleet Safety program that the committee had developed. He said, however, that Harry Buccifero was called out of town this afternoon and instead Deputy Commissioner Debbie Harper distributed the draft. He said that if there were any questions that Deputy Commissioner Debbie Harper or our new Risk Manager, Marilyn Rivers, should be contacted. He said he anticipated bringing recommendations to the Council sometime in May. Executive Session Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to adjourn to executive session at 8:05 p.m. to discuss certiorari matters. Ayes all. Council member returned at 8:15 p.m. Espey Manufacturing (03-061) Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded that the Council resolve the Espey Manufacturing certiorari matter under the terms discussed in executive session. Ayes all. Williamsburg Apartments Page 8 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Commissioner Stephen Towne announced the voluntary withdrawal of the Williamsburg Apartment certiorari 2001 case. FINANCE OFFICE Payroll -- Approval Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Stephen Towne seconded to approve the following payrolls: March 21, 2003 -- $334,507.25 and March 28, 2003 -- $359,808.53. Ayes all. Warrants -- Approval Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the following warrants: 1APR03- -- Warrant 2-27 General Fund $ 221,321.81 City Center Authority 6,051.93 Water Fund 33,340.15 Sewer Fund 3,483.86 Capital Project 17,905.43 Special Assessment District -0- West Avenue SAD -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 13,159.50 $ 295,262.68 MC030326 - Warrant 2-9 General Fund $1,367,921.33 City Center Authority 27,355.78 Water Fund 1,771.85 Sewer Fund 578,386.08 Capital Project -0- Special Assessment District -0- West Avenue SAD -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 15.29 $1,975,450.33 Ayes all. Budget Transfers Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Stephen Towne seconded to approve the budget amendments as presented (Attachment B). Ayes all. Budget Amendments Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the budget amendments as presented (Attachment C). Ayes all. Set Public Hearing for Hotel Occupancy Tax Increase Commissioner Michael Lenz informed Council members that both houses of the state legislature had passed the proposed increase to the hotel occupancy tax bill on March 26. He noted that the Governor had yet to sign Page 9 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 the bill, however, he expected it to be signed soon. He said he had spoken to Jeff Wait on this matter and it was his opinion that there was no reason this could not move forward and a public hearing be set. He requested a public hearing be set for April 15 at 6:30 p.m. Council members agreed. Commissioner Michael Lenz said that there needs to be some discussion with the County Treasurer when this takes effect. He said it must become effective at the beginning of a quarter, therefore, he anticipated it would take effect on June 1. He said that would allow time to notify the hotel, motel and Inn operators about this increase. He said he would also talk to Gavin Landry, Tourism Bureau. Building Inspector Software Demonstration B Announcement Kevin Kling informed Council members that there would be a demonstration of Building Inspector software at the Masie Center tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. He encouraged anyone who might be interested to attend. Kevin Kling said this new software would tie into the existing MUNIS accounting software package. He said this new program will allow several offices throughout the City to share information about any particular parcel or project. He said there is a lot of physical searching for information now and this program will allow staff to search for material from their desktop computer. He said offices such as DPS, Assessment, Building Department, Engineering, Finance will all use this program to look for tax, utility, zoning, building permit, etc., information. He said it will also allow staff to determine if there is a parcel that is not compliant with City code or if they owe back taxes. He said the program could be set up to allow no further permits to be issued until the outstanding matters are taken care of if the City chooses to do so. Commissioner Thomas Curley suggested that the City Attorney look into having the permitting process stopped if there are outstanding issues. Kevin Kling said that was a policy matter. Kevin Kling said there would be security access to control what level of employee will be able to change information. He said generally the information will be for viewing purposes. He informed Council membersthat the Records Office has applied for a grant through LGRMIF to fund this purchase and representatives from that state office will be here tomorrow to view this demonstration. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if this would be for internal City Hall use only. Kevin Kling said yes. Kevin Kling said this new software would tie into the existing software. Nancy Wagner said the grant was for $14,466 which would cover the majority of the cost. Commissioner Stephen Towne said it seemed that this would be a more efficient and time saving product for staff. Commissioner Michael Lenz agreed reminding Council members that at their last meeting they approved two new positions in the building/engineering department noting that there needed to be streamlining of the permitting process. He said this was another piece of that process. Commissioner Michael Lenz thanked Kevin Kling and Nancy Wagner for this information. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Washington Street Phase 3 Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked Paul Male, City Engineer, if there had been any progress on obtaining the easements from the property owners in the Washington Street area. Paul Male explained that there were four parcels that needed to be crossed in order to avoid a pump station. He said two of the parcels, Foulke & Farone, are willing to allow the City to cross; however, the other two parcels, Hayes and Carroll, have not yet given their approval. Commissioner Thomas McTygue suggested that letters be sent to these individuals. Paul Males said he had done so and there had been no response. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said this was a very important project that these two property owners were holding up. He asked that Paul Male work with Bill McTygue on contacting these individuals so that this project can continue. Appointments (03-062) Page 10 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Commissioner Thomas McTygue announced the appointment of Ann Plante to the position of Water Meter Account Supervisor, Grade 14, Step 1, of the salary schedule effective April 1, 2003. He said she was being appointed from the Civil Service list. Commissioner Thomas McTygue announced the appointment of Ed Sarro to Water Meter Service Worker to Grade 6, Step 1 of the salary schedule effective April 1, 2003. Commissioner Thomas McTygue announced the appointment of Kelly Clark to the position of Water Meter Service worker Grade 6, Step 1 effective April 2, 2003. Water & Sewer Rates Resolution 2003 (03-063) Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the sewer rates were the same as last year except for the reduction the flat rate charge from $94.80 to $79.50 which was a decrease of $15.30. He said the water rate will increase by 3 percent which equates to a 60 cent increase from $2.30 to $20.90. He reminded everyone that this was the first increase in the water rates in the last 8 years. He said the overall water budget has increased by $80,000 due to the increase in salaries in benefits. He said this proposed increase would take effect with the July 2003 bill. Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the 2003 Water & Sewer Rates as presented (Attachment D). Ayes all. Rental of Compost Screen Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the rental of the compost screen from Lyon Equipment at a cost of $6,000 for the first month, $5,500 for the second month and $5,000 for each month thereafter. He said this was a three month rental and the money was within his budget. Commissioner Stephen Towne asked what it would cost to purchase this piece of equipment. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said it was a substantial amount which he estimated to be $75,000. Ayes all. (Deputy Mayor Hank Kuczynski arrived.) Tub Grinder Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the tub grinder is in need of major repairs. He said he does not have the funds in his budget to cover the cost of repairs. He said the estimated cost of the repair is $32,841. He reminded Council members that this request was denied in the capital budget and his budget line was also reduced by $13,000. He said at the end of 2002, DPW had approximately $270,000 remaining in their overall budget which shows that they were conservative in their spending throughout the year. He said he had spoken to Commissioner Michael Lenz on this matter and thought that perhaps once the funding for this repair was found that the approval could be done by memo. He said there was also a letter from Al Madarrasy explaining the damage that will be done to the machine with the prolonged use of inadequate equipment. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said this was a major piece of equipment that is used to make compost and generate revenue for the City. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he would work with Commissioner Thomas McTygue on this matter. He said he also wanted to be sure that this purchase/repair was done within the City=s purchasing guidelines. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he would work with the Purchasing Department. Bill McTygue, Director of Public Works, said he would circulate the information including the cost to the various departments. He reminded Council members that this is a particular machine (make and model) so that needed to be considered when making this repair. He said the retrofit to this machine will add years to the life of the Page 11 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 1, 2003 machine. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Traffic Enforcement Update Commissioner Thomas Curley reminded Council members that last year DPS did traffic checks in front of City Hall and issued many tickets for going through the lights and/or speeding. He said they have recently placed the speed control device along Broadway and drivers are amazed at how fast they are traveling. He said they again will set up traffic checks in strategic locations on Broadway to enforce the traffic laws and an overall strategy for Broadway will be developed. He said they were also looking at using some grant money to purchase another speed control device. He said this device seems to have a positive effect and was a good investment. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Michael Lenz seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:40 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Kenneth Klotz adjourned the meeting at 8:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted Kathy Moran Clerk Approved: Page 12 of 12