City Council

CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY COUNCIL ROOM TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003 7:00 P.M. PRESENT : Commissioner Thomas Curley, DPS Commissioner Michael Lenz, Finance Kenneth Klotz, Mayor Commissioner Thomas McTygue, DPW Commissioner Stephen E. Towne, Accounts ALSO PRESENT: Anthony Scirocco, Supervisor Phil Klein, Supervisor STAFF PRESENT : Erin Dreyer, Deputy Commissioner, DPS Deborah Harper, Deputy Commissioner, Accounts Jeff Wait, City Attorney PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD George Cannon said he recently received a letter concerning the Geyser Crest wells and was surprised by the contents of that letter. He said there was a statement in that letter that the Geyser Crest well would be closed if the county water plan is used. He said that statement was not true. He said it was just another scare tactic. He reminded everyone that the estimated $17 million for the Saratoga Lake plan does not include the watershed matter or potential lawsuits. He also noted that this would double the City=s debt. He said the regional plan calls for smart growth. He said there has been a lot of talk about controlling our own destiny, however, he believed there was a leadership vacuum in the City. He said a regional approach is needed. He further noted that the County plan requires Saratoga Springs participation and that should be used to the City=s advantage by requesting a seat on that committee with a weighted vote. He said the City should also participate in discussions on where the pipes are to be laid. He said the City needs to be more proactive and not simply sit back and wait for things to happen. He said the Town of Wilton is the tenth largest user of water from the City. He said if the City chooses the County/regional plan, we would not increase our debt service. He said Commissioner Thomas McTygue is not taking a leadership role in this matter because he is looking at only one option. He said the PCB issue is being used as a scare tactic and noted that there are PCBs in both options. He said using the PCB issue as a scare tactic was not funny. He further noted that Queensbury already takes water from the same location that is proposed in the county/regional plan. He suggested that everyone reread the DEIS page 55, section 358 concerning the PCB matter. He said these are important issues that need to be discussed. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said although the Charter Review Commission recommended the institution of a public comment period, they, and he too, were concerned that it could be used by candidates running for public office. He said it should not be used campaigning. Bill McTygue, Director, Utilities, DPW, asked to speak under the public comment period. Mayor Kenneth Klotz suggested that he wait until this matter came up on the agenda and then he would be allowed to speak. Wilma Koss, Kaydeross Park Road, said she did not want to drink water from the lake. She said she had some concerns with the Department of Health letter dated July 7 which states that the salt levels in the lake are high. She said some people could be forced to buy bottled water. She said there was also the matter of informing residents and tourists of the high levels of salt. She said it was very expensive to remove salt from the raw water. She suggested that Commissioner Thomas McTygue sit with the county to discuss this matter and look at all of the facts. She said she would like to see the misinformation come to a stop. She said she also wanted Page 1 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 a commitment from all Council members that the health the residents of this community would not be compromised by drinking water from Saratoga Lake. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Kenneth Klotz closed the public comment period. Mayor Kenneth Klotz welcomed foreign exchange students from the Ukraine and Brazil. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Kenneth Klotz called the meeting to order with the Pledge of Allegiance. SUPERVISORS Water Phil Klein said in August the County sent a letter to the City in an attempt to set up a meeting on this matter. He said he did receive a letter today from Commissioner Thomas McTygue agreeing to that meeting and he would talk to the chair of the County water committee on selecting a date. He said it was important for these two groups to get together to discuss and negotiate this matter. He said it was also important to get all of the information on the table for discussion. He said if the County is included in the City=s water source plans, there could be good drinkable water for more than 100 years. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the County was asked to attend a meeting in the City but they declined. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said this was a City matter and the meeting would be held here in the City. Phil Klein said this was a regional matter and it was time for the City and the County to meet to go through all of the information line by line if necessary. He said there was a lot of misinformation which is confusing for all. He said all parties including the engineers, etc., would be invited to this meeting. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he was glad to see that all would be invited. He said the City=s engineering firm will also discuss the issues in the letter from the County. Bill McTygue said he would like this opportunity to respond to George Cannon=s comments. He said there is a lot of misinformation with the County plan. He said a regional plan requires regional players and there is very little interest from surrounding communities. He said that the city would be asked to pay 66 percent of the cost for the county plan. Phil Klein suggested that this was exactly the type of misinformation that needed to be discussed between the City and the County and said this was not the appropriate forum. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said Commissioner Thomas McTygue has the right to respond to George Cannon=s comments. Bill McTygue said the County was originally looking for the City to purchase 6 mgpd, however, the latest report is for the City to purchase 4 mgpd. He said the City would be expected to buy the majority of the water. Commissioner Stephen Towne said he believed that everything was still on the table according to the County. Bill McTygue said he had a letter from the County outlining what they were looking for. He said this proposed regional system lacks the necessary support of surrounding municipalities and in fact the neighboring Page 2 of 12  City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 municipalities are being asked to buy only a very small amount. He said the County will not put any cash up front and will float a bond. He said the cost of 4mgpd at $1.95 per thousand gallons over 365 days per year was $2.85 million to the City and operating costs were still not included in that figure. He said it would total more than $14 million over five years and $28.5 million over a ten year period and the City would have nothing to show for it. Bill McTygue said the City had asked the county for a business plan several months ago but has still not seen it. He said there are PCBs in the Hudson where the County plan intends to take the water. He noted that Niagara Mohawk had done remediation on their site near this location but had not cleaned the Hudson. He said DPW has also asked for environmental information from the County and has not yet received anything. He said the County plan is still conceptual, which the City has spent nearly $500,000 on a DEIS and it was a credible report. He said it was simply nonsense to think that there was something wrong with the Saratoga Lake water. He further noted that the SLPID did a water quality study test and their report show the superior quality of the lake. He said this debate should be carried on in a credible manner and not in this fashion. Commissioner Stephen Towne said the document from the County was a place to begin initial discussions. He said there were no absolutes in the document and further noted that the County had said that everything is on the table for discussion. He said it was misleading to the public to have them believe there are absolutes. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said everything is on the table. He noted though that Commissioner Michael Lenz has already stated that he would not support taking water from the lake. He said there had also been misstatements about selling water to the Town of Wilton. He further noted that several years ago there was intermunicipal cooperation with the Town of Wilton to sell them water. He noted that Charles Wait facilitated those negotiations. He said that the City has also has worked with the Town of Schuylerville, Greenfield and Wilton on several other matters. He said the sale of water to the Town of Wilton was made with a republican controlled Council. He said the original contract was to sell 500,000 gallons of water to a designated area in the Town of Wilton, however, since that time the amount had been reduced to 250,000 gallons. He said the Town of Wilton paid the City $100,000 just to hook into the line and then they paid for all of the work to install the lines. He said there was also intermunicipal cooperation between the City and the Town of Wilton on their zoning around Loughberry Lake. He said the Town of Wilton has since changed their zoning in that area. He said though that Charles Wait attempted to facilitate a meeting between the City and the Town of Wilton on that matter and Roy McDonald, Town of Wilton, would not come to a meeting with the City. He said when the Town needed a street opening permit for a sewer line though, that changed. He said the Town of Wilton uses less water than the Prime Hotel. He said there is far too much misinformation out there. MAYOR =S OFFICE Certificate of Public Service B Officer John Shaw Mayor Kenneth Klotz said when the NYCOM certificates were distributed at a previous meeting, Officer John Shaw was inadvertently omitted. He then presented him with a certificate. Commissioner Thomas Curley said Officer John Shaw had been with the City since June 1973. He said that most recently Officer John Shaw had worked as a community police officer and on the child safety seat program. He commended Officer John Shaw for his many years of service. Susan Shanley B Recognition Mayor Kenneth Klotz said that Susan Shanley, director of the youth mentoring program, would be stepping aside from her position in that program. He said she had spent a great deal of time working with at risk youth in the community. He said he would issue a proclamation in her honor for her work with the youth. Page 3 of 12  City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 Shelters of Saratoga Easement Request (03-159) Tony Izzo said the information on the Shelters of Saratoga easement request had been circulated. He said this was for a porch on Grand Avenue. He noted that the porch had existed at this location since 1791 Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded for the Council to approve the Shelters of Saratoga easement request at 128 Grand Avenue. Ayes all. November Council meeting Mayor Kenneth Klotz suggested rescheduling the November 4 City Council meeting to November 5. Council members agreed. Sign Permit Urban Heritage Area Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the permit application for Urban Heritage signs that have been ordered for a couple of locations throughout the City. He noted that this state permit is required. He said the money was within his budget. Ayes all. Air Conditioner Service Agreement Urban Heritage Area Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the contract for servicing the Urban Heritage Area air conditioner. He noted that the money was within his budget. Ayes all. Cleaning Contract B Urban Heritage Area Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Michael Lenz seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the contract for cleaning services at the Urban Heritage Area. He noted that the money was within his budget. Ayes all. Collateral Source Bill B Resolution of Support (03-160) Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there had been a request from the Corporation Council of New York City asking municipalities to join together for a bill being introduced in Albany called the ACollateral Source@ bill. He said this bill, if approved, would be used to correct an anomaly for disability payments for City employees injured on the job. He explained that under the current law, employees can collect and also sue the City for an injury. He said this bill would correct that matter by allowing only one payment to the employee. He said several local communities such as Ballston Spa, Charlton, Wilton, Moreau and the County of Saratoga have endorsed this bill. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the resolution as presented (Attachment A). Commissioner Michael Lenz asked if this bill would allow for either/or selection by the employee, or did it simply allow for only one or the other. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he did not know the details. Commissioner Stephen Towne said he believed it was one or the other. Phil Klein noted that the county had not yet acted on this item but it was on an upcoming agenda. Page 4 of 12  City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 Ayes all. Catholic Daughters of the Americas Day B Proclamation (03-161) Mayor Kenneth Klotz issued a proclamation in honor of Catholic Daughters of the Americas Day noting that it was their centennial year. Land Acquisition Consultant Jeff Olson, Chair of the Land Acquisition Committee, said this committee has made a recommendation to the Council on retaining a land acquisition consultant. He said they are recommending that Behan Associates be that firm. He noted that the information had been circulated to Council members. He said as part of this process, the language used will protect the privacy of the property owners. He said this consultant will be used to do studies, appraisal work, etc. He noted that the fee structure was reasonable. He said they were ready to move forward to make the acquisition, but first needed the Council to approve this consultant. John Behan said they had put together a professional proposal which shows the steps to be taken including letters of intent, security appraisals, drafting contracts, etc. He said the size of the parcels could vary from pocket parks to large parcels. He said his firm has been doing this type of work in several communities and they are ready to move forward if the Council approves the contract. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if this was a fee based contract. John Behan said yes. He said it is an hourly based contract. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if there were other proposals. Jeff Olson said there was another, however, it had been withdrawn. He said the Behan contract did not lock the City into long term strategy. He said this is only the first phase and it would be reviewed on a project by project basis. Commissioner Stephen Towne said he was under the impression that the Council had two options this evening and was taken off guard in that the other proposal had been withdrawn. He said the other proposal seemed far more suited. He said he was also concerned with the anticipated costs. He said he was more interested in an ala carte menu. He said because there was only one proposal and because of the cost, he would prefer more time to review this matter. He also noted that the City would be hiring a new director of parks and recreation and suggested that some of the work could be done by that individual. Jeff Olson said it was not his intent to take anyone off guard and there could be some room for negotiation. He noted though that the dollar amounts were the upset amounts. Commissioner Stephen Towne said there should be at least an alternative to this proposal. Jeff Olson said that was true, however, the other firm withdrew its proposal. Commissioner Stephen Towne said he would like to see two or three high quality companies. Jeff Olson said there were not a lot of these firms specializing in this type of work. He also agreed that there needed to be a transition to City staff. Mayor Kenneth Klotz agreed there would be a transition to the new staff. Jeff Olson said the staff person would unlikely be in the field and closing deals on these parcels. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he was looking for full Council support on this matter. He said the Council could wait until the next meeting or perhaps could move forward this evening in some generic fashion. Jeff Olson said it was not necessary to obtain an approval this evening, however, he would like to see some action. Mayor Kenneth Klotz suggested that Jeff Olson, John Behan and the City Attorney work together on this matter. Commissioner Thomas Curley asked if there was a role that the Recreation Commission could play in this matter. Jeff Olson said yes. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said that while they could be involved, there was a certain level of expertise beyond their capabilities that was necessary. Page 5 of 12  City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 Commissioner Stephen Towne suggested that over the next two week time period the committee could look for other legitimate alternative high quality companies. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would bring this item back to the next Council meeting. Neighborhood Notification Policy Mayor Kenneth Klotz said this matter has arisen over the summer concerning the youth home that planned to move to Kirby Road. He said at that time there was some agreement that the applicant could have done a better job in notifying the neighborhood. He said the Council had asked him to clarify this issue and he had since circulated a memo with the proposed text. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded that the following motion be approved: AIt shall be the policy of the City Council to follow the spirit and the letter of governing state legislation in the siting of group homes for any purpose. Further, when any member of the council becomes aware of an intention to site a group home, that member shall inform the rest of the council for the purpose of determining appropriate steps for neighborhood notification. @ Commissioner Thomas Curley said he thought the policy should be more specific. He said he was looking for a way that neighbors would be notified of potential projects and not have it limited to group homes. He said the notification would be similar to a courtesy letter. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said that was his intent. Commissioner Thomas Curley said for the City=s Boards such as the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals there are very specific details on notifications and he wanted something more similar to that legislation. Mayor Kenneth Klotz agreed to work on the language to determine who should be notified, what would trigger the notification, etc. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he did not want to see it get complicated though. Mayor Kenneth Klotz and Commissioner Thomas McTygue agreed to withdraw the motion . Recreation Department -- Ballston Are Community Center Agreement Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement with the Ballston Area Community center for use of the Gym. Ayes all. Recreation Department -- Skidmore College Agreement Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement with Skidmore College for use of the Gym. Ayes all. Recreation Department B YMCA Agreement Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement with the YMCA for use of the gym. Ayes all. Recreation Department B Saratoga School District Agreement Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement with the Saratoga School District. Ayes all. Springwood Commons conveyance (03-162) Jeff Wait, City Attorney, said this item had to do with the new Springwood Commons condominiums being Page 6 of 12  City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 constructed along Ballston Avenue. He explained that during the Planning Board process, there was some discussion on the transfer of the paper streets. He said there was an agreement that the bulk of the paper streets would be transferred to the state which would create a substantial buffer and a small portion was to be transferred to this property owners. He said in return the property owner would extend the bike path south. He said the extension of that bike path had been reviewed with DOT. He also noted that the Real Estate Committee reviewed this and it was their recommendation that the Council approve the transfer of these paper streets to the property owner and the state. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the transfer of the paper streets to the property owner and New York State and in exchange the property owner will extend the bike path in accordance with DOT =s wishes further noting that there will be striping for that bike path. Jeff Wait noted that all parties agreed to this proposal. Ayes all. Reserve Account Weibel Avenue/Nimo Rent Payments (03-163) Jeff Wait said at the last Council meeting there was a lease agreement approved with Niagara Mohawk for the Weibel Avenue site. He said they will now begin to pay rent for occupying that space. He further explained that Commissioner Thomas McTygue wanted a special account set up, where the funds from that rent collection would be used for future improvements to that structure. He said this would allow for improvements to the building when Niagara Mohawk vacates this premise. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the resolution authorizing the creation of a reserve fund for capital improvements to the public works facility located at Weibel Avenue (Attachment B). Ayes all. Hunger Awareness Day Proclamation Mayor Kenneth Klotz issued a proclamation for Hunger Awareness Day for October 19. He also noted that the annual Crop Walk would be held on October 19 and encouraged everyone to participate. Easement B Richard Ricciuti Tony Izzo said this was an easement request for 62 Beekman Street. He reminded Council members that an easement had been approved for this parcel in August, however, now that the handicapped access had been laid out, an additional 7 inches was needed. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the easement for Richard Ricciuti at 62 Beekman Street as presented. Ayes all. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Approval of September 16, 2003, City Council meeting minutes Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the September 16, 2003, City Council meeting minutes. Ayes all. Award of Bid B Catch Basin Riser Extensions Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works, Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to award the bid for catch basin riser extensions to East Jordan in the amount of $7,308 (only bidder). Commissioner Stephen Towne noted that this bid had been reviewed by the Purchasing Department and meets the City =s purchasing guidelines. Ayes all. Page 7 of 12  City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 Risk Management Update Marilyn Rivers reviewed the work of the safety committee as follows: $ The fleet safety program would be discussed at their next meeting and a final draft would be available in November. $ The City Hall evacuation Plan was being worked on. $ National Fire Prevention month is during October and the committee had recommended that a proclamation be issued. $ The Safety Committee had been working with the local fire fighters on their open house scheduled for October 11 at the Lake Avenue Fire Station (informational package distributed to Council members). $ Sgt. Jack King would make a presentation to the safety committee on work place emergency preparedness plans. $ MSDS information will be distributed to departments beginning in the fourth quarter and then on an ongoing basis. $ A safety calendar for community outreach and worker safety would be developed. Fixed Asset Policy (03-164) Marilyn Rivers noted that the fixed asset policy had been previously distributed and reviewed by departments. She said there were three reasons for this policy: it meets GASB 34 mandates, it meets the new City Charter requirements and it also meets the City=s insurance program requirements. Commissioner Stephen Towne noted that it would provide for the maintenance of annual inventory of assets. He said it required that an individual in each department be designated to maintain the inventory list. He said that the information would be distributed to each department this week and they would ask for a response within 30 days. He said the first report listing all fixed assets under this policy will be sent to each department effective December 1 and will be done each month thereafter. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he would like Marilyn Rivers to meet with the heads of each of his departments to explain what is expected of them. Marilyn Rivers said she would do so. She noted that she had already been working with both DPW and DPS and it was a true partnership. Commissioner Stephen Towne moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the fixed asset policy as distributed (Attachment C). Ayes all. Ordinance Review B Hotel & Food Establishments Commissioner Stephen Towne said at the last meeting he said he would announce the formation of a Hotel & Food Establishment review committee. He said the members of that committee included: Gavin Landry, Convention & Tourism Bureau; Geoff Bornemann, City Planner; Mike Biffer, Building Inspector; Pat Rocco, Fire Department; Kevin Veitch, Code Enforcement; Chris Mathiesen, ZBA; Bruce Levinsky, Merlin Development; Kathy Smith, Saratoga Arms; Carrie Woerner, Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation; Dennis Brunelle, Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council and staff members include Debbie Harper, Deputy Commissioner, Accounts; Erin Dreyer, Deputy Commissioner, DPS; Tony Izzo, Assistant City Attorney and Marilyn Rivers, Risk Manager. He said it was the goal of this committee to review and the existing ordinance to achieve uniformity with the various layers of bureaucracy. He said he anticipated a draft report by the end of the calendar year. Records Management Plan Nancy Wagner said this was the annual progress report on records management from September 2002 through September 2003. She said the following activities in records management had been done during this Page 8 of 12  City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 year: Mayor=s Office: active and inactive files were purged and reorganized; automated indexes created: Public Works: an inactive record storage area was established which facilitated a successful annual rollover of records past retention. She said due to the amount of material that DPS generates, it may be necessary to obtain additional shelving. Finance: 576 cubic feet of records were inventoried or which 80 cubic feet were disposed. An electronic index of the Department=s four inactive record storage areas was developed; office retention schedulers were updated and a centralized inactive personnel file was set up and an automated database developed. She said that Finance will also require additional shelving and the creation of a records area. Accounts: Business Recovery: the plan has been outlined and presented and the survey distributed to employees. Grants: The 2003 LGRMIF grant project proposal was awarded in the amount of $14,466 for the purchase and implementation of software. The project is underway and must be completed by June 30, 2004. Police: $3,971 was awarded to inventory the Police department=s off-site inactive records room which was filled to capacity. The storage space was increased by 55 percent. An index of each case filed from 1945 through 1996 was created. A policy was developed for the use of the records room; the police department=s office retention schedule was updated and an automated index of the inactive records was created. Building Department: $14,000 as received for the building department software and the project deadline was June 30, 2004 and was moving along well. Future grants: Project ideas include fire suppression units in the City Clerk vault and the Police Department inactive records room; equip and set up an inactive records area in Finance; inventory and purge Fire Department records; indexing and preservation of maps in Public Works and Engineering; inventory, purge and reorganize records in the Civil Service Office. Nancy Wagner said if there were other ideas or suggestions for grants to please contact her. Cost Control Associates Findings Commissioner Stephen Towne withdrew this item. FINANCE DEPARTMENT Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Stephen Towne seconded to approve the following payrolls: September 19, 2003 -- $341,176.54; September 26, 2003 B $353,775.35 and October 3, 2003 -- $357,190.60. Ayes all. Warrants -- Approval Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the following warrants: 1OCT03- -- Warrant 2-31 General Fund $ 493,081.06 Page 9 of 12  City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 City Center Authority 18,495.07 Water Fund 29,065.58 Sewer Fund 10,177.96 Capital Project 17,528.07 Special Assessment District -0- West Avenue SAD -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 43,970.42 $ 612,318.16 MC030924 B Warrant 2 - 9 General Fund $1,439,363.59 City Center Authority 3,444.93 Water Fund 26,058.48 Sewer Fund 578,653.37 Capital Project -0- Special Assessment District -0- West Avenue SAD -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development -0- $2,047,520.37 MC031001 - Warrant 2 - 5 General Fund $ 33,445.00 City Center Authority 3,209.79 Water Fund 1,377.00 Sewer Fund 457.07 Capital Project -0- Special Assessment District -0- West Avenue SAD -0- Trust Fund -0- Debt Service -0- Community Development 161,450.00 $ 199,938.86 Ayes all. Budget Transfers Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to approve the budget transfers as presented (Attachment D). Ayes all. Budget Amendments Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Stephen Towne seconded to approve the budget amendments as presented (Attachment E). Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there was an expenditure report at the last Council meeting stating that the City was in good shape in keeping expenditures under control. He said as we enter the 2004 budget cycle, we need to maintain accurate and up to date information on the 2003 budget. He said there have been some reports on possible tax increase but noted that there was a $7 million surplus with $3 million unencumbered at the end of 2002. He said there are some strong revenue lines and it was likely that there would be a surplus in 2003 as well. He said the City will have some challenges to meet this year with the retirement payments, charter Page 10 of 12  City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 positions and the city wide reassessment. He said the Finance Department is in the process of working on the proposed 2004 budget. Commissioner Michael Lenz noted that he would only release those numbers that were given to him, which will be the starting point. He further noted that the City has little control over some of the expenditures such as the retirement bill. He also noted that the charter requirements were substantial. Ayes all. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS West Side Drainage Paul Male, City Engineer, said this project is moving along. He said he hoped to have the plans in City Hall very soon with the notice to bidders going out by October 14. He said the bid would be opened on November 4 and awarded November 5. He noted that there were still some easement issues to be finalized and he and Jeff Wait were working with those property owners and attorneys on this matter. Paul Male said this project would include sanitary pipes, increased size of water mains, storm sewer, sidewalks and curbs. He said this would allow for municipal sewer and water to one of the last remaining sections of the City without municipal services. He said this area includes Newton Avenue, Central Avenue, Bensonhurst Drive and Outlook Avenue. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Proclamation B Fire Prevention Week Commissioner Thomas Curley said the Mayor=s Office had issued a proclamation for National Fire Safety and Prevention week. He then read the proclamation. He noted that the Fire House would have an open house on October 4, 2003 and encouraged residents to attend. He said there would be K-9 demonstrations, the aerial truck would be on display and many other events. Code Enforcement Update Commissioner Thomas Curley reported that the Code Enforcement Office had been working on various matters including the dumpster on Crescent & Bowman Streets. He said a letter had been sent to the property owners notifying them of this violation and there will be follow up. He said there was also a request to look at the two fire hydrants at the Grand Union plaza in that they were not functioning. He said that is being looked into and he would report back to the Council. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:55 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Kenneth Klotz adjourned the meeting at 8:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Moran Clerk Page 11 of 12  City of Saratoga Springs City Council meeting minutes Tuesday, October 7, 2003 Approved: Page 12 of 12