City Council

CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY COUNCIL ROOM TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2003 6:45 P.M. PRESENT : Commissioner Thomas Curley, DPS Kenneth Klotz, Mayor Commissioner Thomas McTygue, DPW Commissioner Stephen E. Towne, Accounts ABSENT : Commissioner Michael Lenz, Finance ALSO PRESENT: Anthony Scirocco, Supervisor (left 7:15 p.m.) Phil Klein, Supervisor STAFF PRESENT : Erin Dreyer, Deputy Commissioner, DPS Christine Gillmett-Brown, Deputy Commissioner, Finance Deborah Harper, Deputy Commissioner, Accounts Hank Kuczynski, Deputy Mayor (left 7:25 p.m.) Jeff Wait, City Attorney PUBLIC HEARING Speedskating Hall of Fame Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he requested the public hearing this evening in order to obtain comments from the public on this proposal. He noted that the proposed location of the hall of fame and ice oval are on the compost site. He said there would need to be some discussions with DEC on the possibility of using this land for this project. He said it would also be his recommendation that the City have a 99 year lease with the hall of fame rather than selling the parcel to them. He said if there was no opposition this evening, he would discuss this matter with DEC. Mayor Kenneth Klotz opened the public hearing. Cliff VanWagner, 228 Caroline Street, Chair of the Fundraising committee on this project, said there are many local residents including Tom Porter (president of the National Board of Directors for speedskaters), Maurice O=Connell, Rich Worster, Talbot family, Phil Klein, Commissioner Thomas McTygue, Pat Maxwell (local coach), etc. who are involved with the project. He said Dick Butler, Butler, Rowland Mays Architectural Firm, designed the project. Cliff VanWagner said this was an exciting project. He said there have been discussions and agreement from individuals such as Bonnie Blair, Dan Jansen and others who would also represent this committee on the national level for fundraising events. Cliff VanWagner said fundraising would begin soon with a mini golf event. He said in November the national speedskating qualifiers will be held here in Saratoga Springs and the cocktail party will be linked to that event. He said they will also be looking to Congressman Sweeney and Senator Bruno for funding as well as corporate sponsors and grants. He said they recently obtained a memorabilia collection from the Newburg Lions Club that is now stored locally. He said they have a local company designing brochures and they recently obtained their not-for-profit status. He said with that not-for-profit designation, they are now the only official speedskating hall of fame venue in the United States. Mayor Kenneth Klotz suggested that Cliff VanWagner work closely with DPW on this matter. He said the Weibel Avenue location seemed to be the logical location for this hall of fame and oval but wanted to be sure that DPW is kept abreast of the happenings. Cliff VanWagner said it was his intention to work with DPW. Page 1 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, September 2, 2003 Commissioner Stephen Towne asked about the approximate cost of this project. Cliff VanWagner said they are proposing a 20,000 square foot building and museum with an estimated cost of $4 million. He said there is an estimated cost of $3 million for the refrigerated oval. Commissioner Stephen Towne asked about the timetable. Cliff VanWagner said a sizeable amount of funds and/or commitments would need to be acquired before this could begin. He said they also need to decide which to construct first, the building or the oval. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Kenneth Klotz closed the public hearing. MAYOR =S OFFICE Certificates of Public Service Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there were a number of employees with 25 or more years of service to the City. He congratulated and commended those employees for their years of service. Those employees included: Doris Dyer, Michael King, Marjorie Hammill, David Levanites, JoAnne Carlow, Joseph Mattrazzo, StevenMcCormick, Thomas Robbins, Janet Woodcock, John King, Gary Simzer and Joanne Clark. Steeplechase West Name and Number (03-146) Mayor Kenneth Klotz said this was a request to adopt Steeplechase West as a private road and approve a numbering range of one through twelve. He said this request was due to 911 considerations. Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to adopt Steeplechase West as a private road with a numbering range of one through twelve. Ayes all. Saratoga Hospital PUD Amendment (03-147) Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the Council had received a request from the Saratoga Hospital to initiate a coordinated review to establish lead agency status for the environmental review of the Hospital=s petition for an amendment of the Planned Unit Development District. He said there are several boards including the Council, Planning Board and the Design Review Commission involved in the decision relating to the Hospital=s plans. He said since there is more than one agency involved, the SEQR regulations call for a coordinated review to determine who should be the lead agency for the environmental review of the project. Mayor Kenneth Klotz therefore, recommend that the Council initiate the SEQR coordinated review process on this Aunlisted action@. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Stephen Towne seconded that the Commissioner of Accounts be authorized to send a letter to all the involved agencies with a request that the Council be the lead agency for the environmental review of the PUD amendment. He said the involved agencies will have 30 days to accept or challenge the Council =s request. Stephanie Ferradino, attorney representing the hospital, said they are seeking to have the Council serve as lead agent because the ultimate decision rests with the Council. Ayes all. Sale of Ice Rink Property B Payment to Surveyor Mayor Kenneth Klotz said at the last Council meeting he reported that the sale of the old ice rink on Excelsior Avenue was nearly complete. He said he was pleased to report that the sale had been finalized and the City received the balance of $750,000 and an additional $253,000 as part of the overall agreement from Niagara Mohawk. He said the $253,000 is to be used for the Spring Run Trail system. He said he was now seeking Council approval to make payments to the surveyor and the transfer tax. He said there are conditions on this Page 2 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, September 2, 2003 money in that it must be used for either the Spring Run Trail and/or other recreational purposes. He said he would work with the Finance Department on the mechanics of setting up separate funds. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to authorize the payments for the related expenses in connection with this sale for the transfer tax and payment to the surveyor. Ayes all. Real Estate Committee Recommendation Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the Real Estate Committee had made a recommendation on the sale of North VanRenselaer Street to Saratoga Hospital in connection with their expansion plans. He said there are still a few details to be worked out and more information that is required before this recommendation is brought to the Council. Therefore, he said he would bring this to the Council at a later date. Victorian Street Walk Contribution Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there had been a request from the Downtown Business Association that the Council make a small contribution to the Victorian Streetwalk event. He said he would support such a contribution. Commissioner Stephen Towne said he would like more time to study this matter before voting on. Mark Baker, President of the DBA, said the DBA had been supported by the Special Assessment District in their various events but they are now requesting that their allocation be used for new and different activities including the fall festival. He said they will continue to donate $6,000 but $3,000 will go to the Victorian Streetwalk and the remainder to other programs. Mark Baker said the Victorian Streetwalk was a very successful event for the downtown and the DBA does a good job hosting this evening. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would like the Council=s support on this matter. Mark Baker said he would talk to each Commissioner on this request if they so desired. City Recreation Courts paving Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would not request a vote on this matter this evening because Commissioner Michael Lenz was not here, however, he did want to spend some time discussing the matter. He said there was a previous proposal to pave the courts, however, the Council chose to not fund the item. He said the rationale was there was not enough funds to do so. He said now, with the closing of last year=s books, there are funds available. He also noted the Council just received $750,000 for the sale of the Excelsior Avenue Ice Rink. He said the Council should go ahead with the paving. Linda Terricola said she had received a proposal last year from Copeland Coating Company, Inc.,to pave the basketball and tennis courts. She said she had since spoken to that company and asked if that quote would still be good. She said they have informed her that if the entire project was done, the price would hold. However, if the project was broken up, the price would not be good. She said the price was $61,000. She also noted Copeland has said the paving could be done before September 22 if it was approved this evening. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said that it was his intention to circulate this proposal via memo and seek an approval for this paving. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT August 19, 2003, City Council Meeting Minutes Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the August 19, 2003, meeting minutes. Ayes all. Page 3 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, September 2, 2003 Commissioner of Deeds Commissioner Stephen Towne appointed the following individuals as Commissioner of Deeds with a term of two years: Charles Fischer and Russell Faden, both of the Police Department. Hesnor Engineer Contract Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to confirm the previous approval by memo to retain Hesnor Engineering Company in connection with the Quadgraphics Article 7 matter. He noted that the City Attorney had reviewed the contract and it is subject to the review of the Risk Manager. Ayes all. Authorization for Mayor to sign Barry Herbold Contract Commissioner Stephen Towne removed this item from the agenda. Authorization for Mayor to sign Voting Machine Custodian Contracts Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement with Arthur Carnivale and Charles Prock, voting machine custodians, in the amount of $3,500 each for the upcoming elections. He noted that these agreements have been reviewed by the City Attorney, Risk Manager, Deputy Commissioner of Finance and Commissioners of Elections Bill Fruci and Diane Wade. He said the money was within his budget. Ayes all. Executive Session B Certiorari Matters Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to adjourn to executive session at 7:25 p.m. for litigation matters. Ayes all. Council members returned at 7:30 p.m. No action was taken. FINANCE DEPARTMENT Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the following payrolls: August 21, 2003 -- $371,017.62 and August 28, 2003 B $360,133.92. Ayes all. Warrants -- Approval Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the following warrants: 1SEP03- -- Warrant 2-30 General Fund $ 385,758.96 City Center Authority 34,311.06 Water Fund 22,634.86 Sewer Fund 25,046.73 Capital Project 500.00 Special Assessment District -0- West Avenue SAD -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 41,215.42 $ 509,467.03 MC030826 - Warrant 2 General Fund $ 3,005.00 Page 4 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, September 2, 2003 City Center Authority -0- Water Fund -0- Sewer Fund -0- Capital Project -0- Special Assessment District -0- West Avenue SAD -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 3,005.00 $ 3,005.00 MC030827 - Warrant 2 - 7 General Fund $ 44,838.91 City Center Authority 10,713.18 Water Fund 22,182.92 Sewer Fund 1,645.98 Capital Project -0- Special Assessment District 5,150.05 West Avenue SAD -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 74,643.00 $ 159,174.04 Ayes all. Budget Transfers Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the budget transfers as presented (Attachment A). Ayes all. Budget Amendments Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the budget amendments as presented (Attachment B). Ayes all. 2004 Budget Discussion Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown reminded Council members that budget requests were due to the Finance Department by October 1. She said on the third Monday of October those budget requests and projected revenues along with the proposed tax levy would be distributed. She reminded Council members that the budget must be adopted by November 30 and there must be one public hearing before its adoption. Capital Reserve Fund Discussion Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown said in January 2003 a policy was adopted which addressed capital expenditures. She noted that in order to fall under the capital budget, the item must have a useful life of more than 6 years and cost more than $10,000, or it must be financed through the capital reserve, capital grant or a general obligation bond. She explained that generally speaking major purchases such as the fire truck and road work are capital expenditures. She said generally office equipment is not part of the capital fund and should be purchased under the general fund. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked about vehicles. Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown said regular operating vehicles such as a car should be purchased through the general fund. Page 5 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, September 2, 2003 Mayor Kenneth Klotz said it was his intention to set up a schedule for meetings which will parallel the budget process. He said he had requested proposed capital expenditure items be sent to him by the end of the week and he hoped to have a preliminary report ready for the next Council meeting. Deputy Commissioner Christine Gillmett-Brown said it was her intention to establish two capital reserves for the money received from the sale of the ice rink. She said she had discussed this matter with Jeff Wait City Attorney. She said the account with the $253,000 would be used for expenses related to the Spring Run Trail and the account with $750,000 would be used for recreational purposes. She said she would discuss this more at the next meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD Tom Mullan said he had been a resident of the City since 1939. He said when the Mayor recognized the long time employees, he believed that two individuals had been left off. He said Anthony Scirocco and Thomas McTygue should be on that list. He said both of these gentlemen have given many years of service to the City and they should be commended as well. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Code Enforcement B Discussion Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he had been working with code enforcement on various properties throughout the City. He said it would be somewhat helpful if code enforcement could provide a report on the parcels they are working on so that his department does not duplicate the work. He said, for example, there are a number of grass cutting issues. Commissioner Thomas Curley agreed there had been quite a bit of communication and cooperation between the departments. He said if there were specific areas of concern to DPW they should be brought to their attention and they would work on it. Mayor Kenneth Klotz suggested perhaps a regular reporting system so that members of the public could see what the City is working on might be helpful. Commissioner Thomas McTygue agreed that it would be helpful for him to know what property owners code enforcement is working with. Commissioner Thomas Curley reminded Council members that court time is rather slow. He said in some cases that is where the delay is. He noted that since they hired another code enforcement officer a few years ago, there had been progress. He said he was willing to work with Commissioner Thomas McTygue on this matter. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Car Donation B Fire Department Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to accept the donation of a 1987 four door Plymouth Sunbird vehicle from Barbara Russell. He said this vehicle would be used for fire training and extraction exercises. Ayes all. Page 6 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, September 2, 2003 SUPERVISORS Phil Klein said he hoped that all Council members had the opportunity to review the answers from the County on the questions forwarded to them several weeks ago concerning the alternate water supply. He suggested that Council members work out a date for a workshop and that Commissioner Thomas McTygue make those arrangements. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said Council members would be hearing from him soon. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Kenneth Klotz adjourned the meeting at 7:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Moran Approved: Clerk Page 7 of 7