City Council

CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY COUNCIL ROOM TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2006 7:00 P.M. PRESENT: Valerie Keehn, Mayor Commissioner John Franck, Accounts Commissioner Ron Kim, DPS Commissioner Matthew McCabe, Finance Commissioner Thomas McTygue, DPW ALSO PRESENT: Cheryl Keyrouse, Supervisor Joanne Yepsen, Supervisor STAFF PRESENT: Lynn Bachner, Deputy Commissioner Finance Michelle Boxley, Deputy Commissioner Accounts Patrick Design, Deputy Commissioner, DPW Frank Dudla, Deputy Commissioner, DPS Nancy Ohlin, Deputy Mayor Michael Englert, City Attorney CALL TO ORDER Mayor Valerie Keehn called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Commissioner John Franck moved and Commissioner Matthew McCabe seconded to adjourn to executive session at 6:30 p.m. for discussions on legal and engineering matters. Council members returned at 7:15 p.m. PUBLIC HEARING Ethier Zoning Amendment - 166 Jefferson Street Mayor Valerie Keehn said this is a public hearing on a petition from Stephen Ethier to change the classification of approximately .75 acres of land at 166 Jefferson Street from Urban Residential-2 (single family homes on 6,600 square foot lots) to Urban Residential-4 (single family or two-family homes or multi-family structures with one unit for each 3,000 square feet of land). The City Planning Board on a vote of 4-1, issued a favorable advisory opinion on the proposed map amendments. Also on file is the required proof of notification to the adjacent property owners. Stephen Ethier was present to answer questions. Mayor Valerie Keehn opened the public hearing Dennis Brunelle, 3 Holly Drive, Saratoga Economic Opportunity Council, said that his organization was in support of this project. He noted that for the past 15 years, there have been more than 2,000 housing units created with only 17 of them being affordable to the workforce. This project is a good project and is ideal for this neighborhood. He urged the council to support this project. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Valerie Keehn closed the public hearing for this evening, however, it will be continued to the January 17 Council meeting. RECONVENE MEETING Page 1 of 7 Mayor Valerie Keehn reconvened the meeting at 7:20 p.m. EXECUTIVE SESSION Mayor Valerie Keehn reported that no action was taken on water and the second issue will be discussed on the DPS agenda. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD Mayor Valerie Keehn opened the public comment period. Wilma Koss, Kaydeross Park Road, President of the SLA, congratulated the newly elected Council members and said that she looked forward to working with them on the water issue. She said the County plan is the best option. Article 78 proceedings have been filed by both SLIPD and SLA on the County EIS. The County project is alive and well and she urged the Council to listen to all sides before making decisions. The SLA is urging people to not shop at businesses that support the County plan. David Bronner, 5 Royal Henley Court, said it now appears that the City has a 5-0 Council. He said the election results were not overwhelming though and there was no mandate from the voters. If Commissioner Thomas Curley had not been on the ballot, the outcome could have been very different. The City has some monumental issues including sales tax, water and inclusionary zoning. There are tough fiscal times ahead. Carol Maguire, 294 Caroline Street, urged everyone to attend a meeting on Thursday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the public library. She said that it will be a town hall type meeting. This meeting is an outgrowth of the September 30 meeting held at Quadgraphics. She encouraged the elected officials to attend. Mark Lawton, Concerned Citizens for the Implementation of the Charter, said it has been four years since the charter was approved and two years into the implementation. There has been progress, however, there is still more to be done. He and his committee are willing to help. Kyle York, 59 Railroad Place, urged everyone to read the DEC and DOH documents on their plans to clean up the stretch of the Hudson River where the County plans to construction its intake. There are maps, studies and a lot of data on the PCBs. He distributed material for Council members’ review. There being no one else wishing to speak, Valerie Keehn closed the public comment period. MAYOR=S OFFICE Proclamation (06-06) Mayor Valerie Keehn said that she was delighted to have the Saratoga Springs High School Cross Country Team and their coaches Art & Linda Kranick present this evening to honor them for their recent top ranking in the United States. She read the following proclamation: PROCLAMATION OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS Whereas, throughout its history, the City of Saratoga Springs has been fortunate to have many outstanding young athletes as members of its local school teams. Our City’s educators have consistently demonstrated that the values and lessons learned on the field are tremendously important in a young person’s life, and Whereas, for many years members of our own Saratoga Springs High School Cross Country program have distinguished themselves with some of the greatest track performances ever seen by local sports fans. This year, with an inspiring demonstration of courage, skill, and determination, both the boys’ and girls’ Cross Country teams stand undefeated in dual meet competitions. The boys’ team holds the Nike Team National Meet Championship, and the girls’ team is the Nike Team National Meet Runner-up. Both teams finished as Suburban Council Champions, Sectional Champions and New York State Public High School Champions Both teams earned Scholar Athlete Honors from the New York Page 2 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 3, 2006 Public High School Athletic Association. The boys’ team is now the highest ranked team in the United States, and the girls’ team is ranked second highest. As a program, Saratoga Springs Cross Country is second to none. It remains the highest ranked program in the USA. Through it all, these amazing young competitors never forgot their classwork. The girls’ team averaged a GPA of 94 percent, and the boys’ team averaged 93 percent. Now, therefore, I, Valerie Keehn, Mayor of the City of Saratoga Springs, am pleased to express our community’s pride and admiration for all the members of our Cross Country Teams: Christopher Allen, Andrew Bangert, Brianne Bellon, Ashley Campbell, Hannah Davidson, Lindsey Ferguson, Cassie Goutos, Demetri Goutos, Kenneth Hammond, Kipling Hill, Greg Kelsey, Greg Kiley, Todd Meyer, Steve Murdock, Kaitin O’Sullivan, and Cameron Vahanian, to their hard working coaches, Art and Linda Kranick, and to their families and friends who gave them such tremendous support throughout the season. May they continue to inspire all of us to work hard, to believe in ourselves, and to strive for excellence in everything we do. Linda Kranick thanked the City for honoring the teams. She said the City should be proud of these students in both their accomplishments and in their representation of this community. SUPERVISORS Cheryl Keyrouse said the County recently adopted a budget of $215 million which included a 2.3 percent increase. The cost to the residents is $2.35 per thousand. Medicaid payments remain the same. There is a $25 million surplus. The sales tax grew by 8 percent. State aid has declined. She was placed on the Equalization & Assessment, Insurance & Risk Management, Public Works and Social Programs committees. She recently appointed a committee on the water issue and planned to do a power point presentation throughout the county on this matter. She also planned to look into establishing a committee on transportation throughout the county. Joanne Yepsen said the County is a pivotal point. The quality of life needs to be preserved. She pledged to be a strong voice at the county. Successful leaders are both practical and idealistic. She will work toward consensus and will start by meeting with each supervisor. Both she and Cheryl Keyrouse plan to continue their site visits throughout the City. She plans to focus on the green infrastructure which is underway at the county. There have been workshops on the trail system, recreation, historic and cultural resources. John Behan will be reporting to the Board of Supervisors on those workshops. There is a meeting on January 9 at 2:00 p.m. at the county on the green infrastructure matters of the county. She also plans to focus on accessibility. March 12 - 18 is open government week and she will cosponsor a number of events with the League of Women voters. She also will hold regular open meetings prior to Council meetings. Her first will be on January 17 at 5:30 p.m. on the third floor in the Music Hall. She was appointed to the Racing & Wagering, Economic Development, Social Programs and Equalization and Assessment Committees at the County. MAYOR=S OFFICE Proclamation Previously done. NYRA Mayor Valerie Keehn said that the NYRA matter was a top priority for this administration. Racing must be kept in the City and the City needs to be an advocate for the racing meet and the racing dates. There must be sound fiscal management for racing to continue. She will attend the public meeting on January 24 in Albany and will testify on behalf of the City. She has previously met with Assemblymen Sheldon Silver and Ron Canestrari and will meet with Senator Bruno and the newly formed Citizens for racing committee. Page 3 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 3, 2006 Commissioner John Franck said it is important for the City to have a seat and voice on these committees. He said current law allows for the meet to be 24 days and that should be revised to 36 days. Mayor Valerie Keehn agreed that it was important for the City to be represented and she will advocate for that possibility. Joint Meeting with Council & Planning Board on Water Mayor Valerie Keehn said that on September 23, 2005, the Council received a letter from the Planning Board requesting a discussion between them and the Council on adequate water support. Last week a follow up letter was sent. She scheduled a meeting between the Planning Board and the Council for January 17 at 5:00 p.m. The Planning Board is asking for guidance from the Council on how it should proceed with new applications in connection with adequate water supply. She requested that Barton & Loguidice be present. Quarterly Development Board Meetings Mayor Valerie Keehn said quarterly development board meetings would begin again with the first being scheduled for Monday, January 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the Music Hall. Town Hall Meetings Mayor Valerie Keehn announced that regular town hall meetings would be held. These meetings will have specific topics. The first meeting will be scheduled for January 21 at 10:00 a.m.. The location will be determined at a later date. State of the City Address Mayor Valerie Keehn announced that the State of the City Address would be held on Saturday, January 28. The date and time to be announced soon. Deputy Meetings Mayor Valerie Keehn announced that there would be regular Deputy Commissioners/Deputy Mayor meetings in the near future. Deputy Mayor Nancy Ohlin will work out the details. Space for Supervisors Mayor Valerie Keehn said that supervisors should have office space made available to them here at City Hall. She said she would work with City staff to ensure that will happen. Off site City Council Meetings Mayor Valerie Keehn announced that it was her intention to hold between four and six off site Council meetings throughout the year. She said she would work with the technical people at Time Warner to ensure that the meetings will be televised. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Approval of Minutes - December 20, 2005 Commissioner John Franck moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the December 20 Council meeting minutes. Ayes all. Approval of Minutes - December 28, 2005 Page 4 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 3, 2006 Commissioner John Franck moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded to approve the December 28, 2005, Council meeting minutes. Ayes all. Approval of Minutes - December 30, 2005 Commissioner John Franck moved and Mayor Valerie Keehn seconded to approve the December 30, 2005, Council meeting minutes. Ayes all. Appoint - Commissioners of Deeds Commissioner John Franck announced the appointment of the following individuals as Commissioners of Deeds with a term of two years: Aaron Benware, Eileen Cotter, Todd Bengston, Sean Briscoe, Robert Jillson, John Lanzara, Thomas Mitchell, Jr., Andrew Prestigiacomo, John Sesselman and Gregory Veitch all from the Police Department. Ethier Zoning Amendment - 166 Jefferson Street Commissioner John Franck said that pursuant to the Council’s request of November 16, 2005, the Planning Board reviewed the proposed zoning map amendment submitted by Stephen Ethier to change the classification of approximately .75 acres of land at 166 Jefferson Street from Urban Residential-1 (single - family homes on 6,600 square foot lots) to Urban Residential-4 (single family or two family homes or multi-family structures with one unit for each 3,000 square feet of land). The Planning Board discussed the request at their December 7, 2005, meeting. Following the discussion the Planning Board voted 4-1 to issue a “favorable” advisory opinion in the revised proposed zoning UR-4 map amendment: 1. The Board believes that the proposed change in density is in accord with the Comprehensive Plan designation for this area of the community. The proposed zoning amendment would allow the density on this parcel to increase from approximately 4 homes (6.6 units per acre) up to 11 residential units (approximately 14.5 units per acre). The boundaries of the different land use categories on the “Development Plan” map in the Comprehensive Plan are, by design, flexible and non-precise. The Planning Boar interprets that the proposed site is reasonably close and, therefore, compatible with an area designated on the Development Plan as High Density Residential-2 (HDR-2). This HDR-2 district permits a density of 1.- 15 units per acre. 2. The revised proposed UR-4 designation for this site is in accord with the existing zoning ordinance because the UR-4 zoning designation already exists in the zoning ordinance. In addition, the Planning Board supported this rezoning because the applicant made a commitment to have a substantial portion of the units in any development on this site to be affordable. As requested by Council members, Commissioner John Franck did not ask for a vote, therefore, the public hearing was continued to the next Council meeting on January 17 at 6:50 p.m. Commissioner Matthew McCabe said that he would like the self-imposed deed restrictions of 30 years addressed in more detail. Enhancing City Revenues Commissioner John Franck said that when running for the Office of Commissioner of Accounts, one of my platforms was to find ways to increase revenues for the City to help alleviate the property tax burden to the residents of this City. The Accounts Department is exploring the feasibility of advertising programs through various mediums: - Non-historic structures (bus shelters, parking garages, etc.) - Electronic programs. He also planned to involve the City Attorney, the Chamber, DRC and the Marketing Committee (Commissioner Matthew McCabe’s) in the development of this program. As this plan develops, I will present examples to the Council. Page 5 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 3, 2006 FINANCE DEPARTMENT Payroll Commissioner Matthew McCabe moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded to approve the following payrolls: December 23, 2005 - $359,650.70; December 30, 2005 - $402,754.01 and December 31, 2005 $46,983.44. Ayes all. Warrants Commissioner Matthew McCabe moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the following warrants: 2005 Regular Warrant 1/3/06 3DEC05 $ 139,213.96 2005 Mini Warrant 12/28/05 MCDEC05 $ 4,631,612.06 Commissioner Matthew McCabe noted that the mini warrant was large due to the $2 million pay off of the revenue anticipation note, quarterly county tax payment of $1.929 million and the quarterly county sewer bill in the amount of $604,000. Ayes all. Budget Transfer - Payroll, Regular, Other None. Budget Amendments None. Marketing Committee Commissioner Matthew McCabe announced the formation of a Marketing Committee. He said this committee will focus on overview and specific revenue enhancements. This committee will be charged with reviewing every piece of land in the City that is for lease, sale or that may be developable. This committee will identify those parcels and their potential use. There will also be a mail/email campaign that will allow the public to submit to this committee what they envision for the downtown. There are many opportunities for the City and there needs to be discussion on what are the types of businesses that people want downtown. This committee will reach out to the Chamber, DBA, SEDC, etc., for their thoughts as well. He announced the following appointees to the committee: Shelby Schneider, SEDC; Cathy Hamilton, Putnam Market; Dan Gaba, Remax; Jennifer Leidig, Ambiance Systems; and Andrew Brindisi, Brindisi’s Restaurant. He invited Council members to submit additional names to his office for membership on this committee. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Farmers Market Check Commissioner Thomas McTygue announced that a check in the amount of $4,791 was received from the Farmers Market. Interlaken Water System Commissioner Thomas McTygue announced that the final papers were signed for the purchase of the Interlaken Water System. The system was turned over to the City, however, the land cost $70,000. The property owners will be notified of this change and the movement of meters. Sometime during February the Interlaken residents will be taken off the Interlaken water source and put on the City system. Work will Page 6 of 7 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 3, 2006 then begin on repairing the leaks of the Interlaken well. He said he was also hopeful that with the additional well, water will be supplied to the entire ridge area. He estimated that it would take between 6 and 12 months to complete the work on this project. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Executive Session - Litigation (06-07) Commissioner Ron Kim moved and Commissioner John Franck seconded approve the stipulation of discontinuance in the matter of the City of Saratoga Springs and Wright Risk Management. It was further agreed that the firm of Girvan and Ferlazzo are the attorneys on record for the Thomas Curley vs. Edward Moore litigation. Commissioner Ron Kim said that the insurance company initially took the position that our policy did not cover this litigation, however, they now agree that it is covered under the City’s policy. Therefore, they have agreed to cover the Curley vs. Moore litigation on the condition that the City withdraw the law suit against them. Ayes all. TRACS Grants (06-08) Commissioner Ron Kim moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to accept the $31,000 grant to participate in the NYS Highway Safety Program. These funds will be used to purchase 15 mobile units, printers and scanners for issuing tickets. Ayes all. Capital Reconstruction Committee Commissioner Ron Kim reminded Council members that he had previously announced the formation of the Capital Reconstruction Committee to be chaired by Lew Benton. Other members of that committee will be John Goldberg, Kenneth King, Ed Amyot, Chief Robert Cogan, Chief Edward Moore and a designee from DPW. The City has grown over the years and there needs to be discussion on how the City meets the emergency needs of the citizens from both police and fire perspectives. He said the existing City police station is antiquated. The committee will look at all of the issues, potential locations and costs including operating costs of a new facility. He said the committee would be charged to come back with a plan within the next six months. Community involvement will also be sought. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner John Franck moved and Commissioner Matthew McCabe seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:15 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Valerie Keehn adjourned the meeting at 8:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Moran Clerk Approved: Page 7 of 7