City Council

City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 17, 2007 CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY COUNCIL ROOM TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2007 7:00 P.M. PRESENT: Valerie Keehn, Mayor Commissioner John Franck, Accounts Commissioner Ron Kim, DPS Commissioner Matthew McCabe, Finance Commissioner Thomas McTygue, DPW SUPERVISORS: Cheryl Keyrouze STAFF PRESENT: Lynn Bachner, Deputy Commissioner, Finance Michele Boxley, Deputy Commissioner, Accounts Eileen Finneran, Deputy Mayor Michael Englert, City Attorney PUBLIC HEARINGS Zoning Amendment – Historic District Mayor Valerie Keehn opened the public hearing on the Zoning Amendment for the expansion of the Historic District. Mayor Valerie Keehn said this public hearing was held open from the last Council meeting. It has been sent to both the City and County Planning Boards for an advisory opinion. The City Planning Board will hold off on their opinion until the County issues and opinion. There has been some minor change to the language. Tony Izzo explained that one parcel had been deleted. The County has not seen the amendment; however, Tony Izzo said he would send it to them. Carrie Woerner, Director, Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation said the properties owned by NYRA are currently on the National Register, however, they were never included in the City’s historic district. This amendment will allow for the inclusion of these parcels into the City’s historic district. She said she had a petition with more than 200 signatures supporting this proposal. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Valerie Keehn closed the public hearing. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Valerie Keehn called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS Mayor Valerie Keehn opened the first public comment period. David Bronner, 5 Royal Henley Court, distributed to Council members, the order of dismissal from the courts on the court case concerning a Council member’s residency. He said it had been reported incorrectly that the Council member had won his case, when it fact, the case had been dismissed due to a technicality. He then distributed pictures of Congress Park showing the many port-a-johns placed through out the park. He said it was unfortunate that the bathrooms have not yet been constructed. He suggested that if the port-a-johns need to be there, then perhaps there could be screens placed around them. He also questioned the use of 55 gallon drums as trash cans rather than nicer looking trash cans. David Bronner said there has been a lot of discussion about civility at the Council meetings and it was stated by a Council member on January 3 that the 1 of 9 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Mayor couldn’t control the meetings. He said that going back to the August 16, 2005, meeting, the same words were used by the same Commissioner about Mayor Michael Lenz. John Vandermeer, 20 Marion Place, expressed concern with the possibility of one way traffic on Henry Street. He said it would be difficult for those trying to get to the library. He was also concerned with the traffic trying to get from Henry Street to Lake Avenue. He said it should not be made a one way street. Commissioner Ron Kim said at this time, this is just an idea and it’s open for discussion. He said there are a fair number of accidents at the intersection of Henry and Spring Streets and this could decrease those accidents. Parking would also be increased along Henry Street by about 30 cars. He said there has been a lot of discussion on simply trying things and perhaps this was one of those things that the City should just try. He said this is an old idea that was floated more than 10 years ago. He again said it was open for discussion. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Valerie Keehn closed the first public comment period. CONSENT AGENDA Commis sioner Ron Kim moved and Commissioner Matthew McCabe seconded to approve the consent agenda as presented. 1. Approval of Minutes: July 3, 11, & 12, 2007 2. Vendor Name Change: From Portable Restroom Rental to Big Top Portable Toilets 3. Approve Payrolls: 7/6/07 $498,982.51 7/13/07 $438,047.17 4. Approve Warrants: Mid MC1JUL07 $798,673.17 General 2JUL07 $886,723.51 Ayes all. MAYOR’S DEPARTMENT Proclamation – National Clown Week (07-129) Mayor Valerie Keehn read the following proclamation: A PROCLAMATION CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS Whereas, in our world filled with problems, the ability to make people laugh is a priceless commodity, and Whereas, throughout history, those talented and energetic artists who have performed as clowns have eased the burdens of human suffering in countless ways. They have fought against depression, illness, pain, war, prejudices and disaster as vigorously as any public official, doctor or scientist. They have been entertainers, philosophers, teachers, psychologists and diplomats. They have opened the eyes and minds of young and old alike to all the laughter, kindness, and joy that can be found in the world and they have accomplished all this simply by being funny, and Now, therefore, I, Valerie Keehn, Mayor of the City of Saratoga Springs, am pleased to proclaim the week of August 1 through August 7 as NATIONAL CLOWN WEEK in the City of Saratoga Springs, and to encourage all our citizens to recognize, appreciate and enjoy the artistry of America’s clowns. Mayor Valerie Keehn then presented the proclamation to the clowns. Presentation – Young Professionals Maxine Barush and Alisa Kramer informed the Council of this new organization for young professionals throughout the capital district. She said it is an organization meant to assist young professionals by networking, socializing and enriching their lives through educational programs. She said they hoped that their organization will be a resource to the Council. They will also be involved in community service work. This 2 of 9 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 17, 2007 organization will connect the four major counties in the capital district. Membership is for young professionals from 21-39. There is an event every other Wednesday evening, around the capital region. It has a 9 member board. They thanked the Mayor for the opportunity to meet with her and to allow them the opportunity to inform Council members of this new organization. Authorization for Mayor to sign School Resource Officer Contract Mayor Valerie Keehn moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded to authorize the mayor to sign the school resource officer contract between the school and police department for the 2007-2008 school year. The City Attorney has reviewed the contract, however, the motion is contingent upon the review of the City’s Risk & Safety Manager. Commissioner Matthew McCabe said the school will pay 65 percent of the salary and the City will pay the remaining salary plus benefits, insurance, clothing, etc. The school district will pay any overtimes costs. It is a one year contract with the officer working the regular school hours. Ayes all. SUPERVISORS Joanne Yepsen Mayor Valerie Keehn said that Joanne Yepsen was unable to be here tonight, therefore, she would handle her agenda items. County Fund Balance Distribution to Saratoga Springs: The County will distribute $5 million in surplus funds to the towns/cities. This is a one time refund and the City’s share is estimated at $783,226. Proposed Local law – Wireless 911 Surcharge – August 15 at 4:45 p.m. public hearing: The new emergency wireless reverse 911 is in place. The County will now be able to reverse 911 to get important messages out to residents. There is a public hearing set for August 15 at 4:45 p.m. on this matter. If the City wishes to participate they should contact Paul Lent for the training. NYS Grant for Disability Program - $75,000: The County was successful in obtaining a $75,000 grant for the disability navigator grant program. New Senior to Senior Animal Adoption Program: The County has begun a new senior to senior animal adoption program. This is a wonderful program which gives senior the companionship of a pet. County Deceased Veterans Program – Monday, August 27: There will be a special veterans program on August 27 at 9:30 a.m. at the County building. She encouraged everyone to attend. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Approval for Mayor to sign acceptance of State Archives Active Records Systems Grant (07-130) Commissioner John Franck said he and Nancy Wagner had discussed grant opportunities for the City with much of the focus on improving efficiencies and paper waste. The City applied for and was successful in getting a grant from the State Archives Active Records System program for an agenda manager program. This program will eliminate the need for copying documents. Everything will now be electronic. It will cut down on the costs for the developers who must submit dozens of copies of drawing and applications. This program will be used by the land use boards and the City Council. Nancy Wagner said this is a web browser based automation tool that streamlines the agenda process from the first call for submissions through final packet publication and post-meeting minute’s distribution. It will reduce the cost to applicants in making dozens of copies of documents. The oversized maps are easily accommodated electronically. The citizens will be able to access agenda items. It makes it easier for the land use board volunteers and will enable them to access the material 24/7. It will help to bridge the gap of communication between Board staff and the Building Department. Building Inspectors and Board staff will be 3 of 9 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 17, 2007 able to easily track when an item is added to an agenda, submissions, approvals, disapprovals or other decisions and review complete item histories with the click of a mouse. Documents can be easily attached to the agenda. The software can be customized to suit each Board. This program will assist in expediting the review process. The program also has the ability to limit access to sensitive items, i.e., executive session documents. She said the successful implementation of this records system will encourage others to follow suit and break the cycle of paper dependency and save money now spent on staff time and paper copies. Commissioner John Franck said this is a nonmatching, fully funded grant. The program will be fully implemented within the next year. They will start with the land use boards. Each board member will have a laptop in front of them at meetings. Commissioner John Franck moved and Commissioner Matthew McCabe seconded for the Council to accept and authorization for the Mayor to sign a non-matching grant award from the New York State Archives and Records Administration ’s Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund in the amount of $55,987 for the purchase, installation and integration of an agenda management software system to electronically manage and streamline the agenda process for the development boards. Mayor Valerie Keehn asked if the land use boards had been included in discussions on this grant. Commissioner John Franck said that he had spoken to Nancy Goldberg, Pat Kane and Lou Schneider on this program and they were receptive. Mayor Valerie Keehn asked if the grant included funding for laptops. Nancy Wagner said there was funding available for a few laptops. Commissioner Ron Kim said that in federal court, all documents must be filed electronically. He said this was good for the City and was necessary. Commissioner John Franck agreed noting that this will make access to all related documents easier. He said the process will remain the same in that everything would be sent to the Mayor’s office and then distributed from there. Ayes all. Approval for Mayor to Sign Acceptance of Historical Records Grant (07-131) Nancy Wagner said the City has been awarded a grant in the amount of $4,963 to hire a professional consultant to survey the City’s primary collection of the City’s archives. This survey will determine the preservation needs of the records. It will also ensure that the documents will continue to be accessible. The significance of this grant is that, although it is a small amount of money, the project will result in a professional needs assessment –a first step- that will be used as justification for other grant applications. Commissioner John Franck moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded for the Council to accept and authorization for the Mayor to sign a non-matching grant award in the amount of $4,963 from the New York State Archives and Records Administration to hire a professional consultant to conduct a preservation survey of the primary collection of the City Archives. Commissioner John Franck said these awards bring the total grant money received for technological and records management projects to $114,637 since he had been in office. To date, the Records Management program has secured a total of $418,597 in non-matching grant awards. Ayes all. Rejection of RFP Commissioner John Franck moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded to reject rfp number 2005-43, the Redevelopment of the High Rock Avenue Parking Lot which opened on September 28, 2005. Commissioner John Franck said two of the respondents have since withdrawn their proposals. Ayes all. FINANCE DEPARTMENT 4 of 9 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Budget Transfer – Payroll, Regular Commissioner Matthew McCabe moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded to approve the budget transfers as submitted. They have met the budget transfer policy and transfer guidelines and the availability funds are certified. They included 6 transfers to or from the general fund for a net total of $32,848 and 10 transfers to or from other expense lines in the general fund and the debt service fund for a total of $48,574 (Attachment A). Ayes all. Budget Amendments Commissioner Matthew McCabe moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the budget amendments as submitted. The budget remains in balance with the approv al of this budget amendment. They have met the budget amendment guidelines and the available of funds is certified. There are 12 budget amendments to the general fund totaling $18,670.93 (Attachment B). Ayes all. County Surplus Distribution Commissioner Matthew McCabe said the City would receive $783,226 from the County under their surplus distribution program. The number was developed from the 2000 census and last year’s assessment records. He said when the 2010 census is completed the distribution formulas will likely change because the Town of Halfmoon has grown significantly. Commissioner Ron Kim asked if anyone had analyzed the formula that the county is using. He said residents are taxed on assessments, however, the distribution is based on assessments and population. Cheryl Keyrouze said the County is using the same distribution formula as the last time. Bond Resolution (07-132) Commissioner Matthew McCabe moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the bond resolution dated July 17, 2007, supplementing bond resolution dated August 16, 2005 and February 7, 2006, authorizing the issuance of additional serial bonds of the City of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County, New York in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $77,448 pursuant to the local finance law to finance the replacement of the Excelsior Springs Avenue Culvert and delegating the power to issue bond anticipation notes in anticipation of the sale of such bonds to the Commissioner of Finance (Attachment C) . Ayes all. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the work should be done within the next several weeks. Roll call vote: Commissioner John Franck aye Commissioner Matthew McCabe aye Commissioner Thomas McTyguye aye Commissioner Ron Kim aye Mayor Valerie Keehn aye Motion carried. July 4th Fireworks Celebration Commissioner Matthew McCabe reminded everyone that the July 4th fireworks celebration had to be cancelled due to the weather. He is working out a new date for the fireworks display and will announce it in the near future. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Changes in Casino Fees for 2007 (07-133) Commissioner Thomas McTygue said that at the May 15 Council meeting he inadvertently omitted several fees for the Casino. 5 of 9 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Therefore, Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Matthew McCabe seconded to adopt the following fees: $200 ceremony fee, $150 rehearsal fee after 3:30 p.m. and $300 kitchen fee. Ayes all. National Grid Lease Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded to approve the extension of the lease with National Grid for the Weibel Avenue property until July 31, 2008 with the rent at 120 percent of the current contract rate and further move to authorize the Mayor to sign the lease agreement. The rent will increase from $4,500 to $5,400. Tony Izzo said this lease is under the same terms and conditions as the previous lease. Commissioner John Franck said there was some confusion as to the yearly increase in connection with the CPI. He said there needs to be clarification in the lease which CPI is to be used. Mayor Valerie Keehn asked about the termination clause. Tony Izzo said he would review the contract, however the termination clause should be mutual. Commissioner Thomas McTygue agreed to withdraw this item until the details could be worked out. Approval for Mayor to sign Sidewalk Contract Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Matthew McCabe seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the contract with Saratoga Gaming and Raceway for the installation of 4,000 feet of sidewalk on Jefferson Street for a lump sum of $24,000, contingent upon receipt of the check. Ayes all. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said there will be further conversations with the Racino on curbing and lighting along the sidewalks. Waterfront Property Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he would like to propose no smoking, no pets and no alcohol at the waterfront property. He asked that Council members think about this and he would bring it back to the next meeting for discussion and vote. Old Getty Station Property Commissioner Thomas McTygue said last week he sent a memo to Michael Englert, City Attorney, requesting that he take appropriate and necessary action to alleviate the unsightly conditions that exist at the abandoned gas station at the corner of South Broadway and Ballston Avenue. He said he was specifically requesting the demolition and removal of all structures on that site. He said the City has made a number of requests to purchase the land. Some of the land has been taken for the road widening. A few weeks ago, his staff went in and cleaned up the parcel with the cost to be applied to their taxes. Commissioner Matthew McCabe asked if there are any code violations. Commissioner Ron Kim said that the code administrators have inspected the property in recent years and he would be happy to send them out there again to reinspect. He said it might be helpful if the City Engineer could go with the code administrator. Ellsworth Parking Lot Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Matthew McCabe seconded to add the discussion of the Ellsworth Parking Lot to the agenda. Ayes all. Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded to approve the use of the Ellsworth lot for parking contingent upon the review by the City’s Risk & Safety Manager. He further noted that permits to park in this lot could be obtained in his office. Ayes all. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY 6 of 9 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Rip Van Dam Update Commissioner Ron Kim said that that the code administrators have been overseeing the stabilization project at the Rip Van Dam. He said the work was begun on June 26 and completed on July 5. The wall has now been sufficiently stabilized. The Adelphi will now be able to use their court yard during the summer months and the parking lot in the rear of the Rip Van Dam can be used again. Michael Englert said this was a temporary stabilization. The City will allow Bruce Levinsky to proceed with demolition after October 1. It was noted that the cost of the stabilization at $20,000 will be reimbursed to the City when the building inspector issues a demolition permit. It was anticipated that the demolition permit would be issued by November 1. Parking Ticket Revenue Update Commissioner Ron Kim reviewed the parking ticket revenue from January to June 2007. He noted the significant increase over last years revenues during this same time period. He said that last year the City was able to collect only about 65 percent from instate parking offenders and less than 50 percent for out of state parking offenders. He commended the Finance Department for their many hours of work on getting the software up and running for this program. At this time, the revenues are $100,000 ahead of last year at this time. He anticipated reaching the revenue goals this year. Further reports on this would be made later in the year on the tickets that they had previously been unable to collect on. Hourly Rate Increase for Summer Vehicle Traffic Controllers (07-134) Commissioner Ron Kim moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to increase the part time summer vehicle traffic controllers salary by 50 cents per hour and to raise the salary range to $12/hour which is the rate paid to the part time crossing guards effective July 17, 2007. The total impact to the budget is $1,886 and the funds are within the budget. Ayes all. EMS Facility (East of the Northway) & Municipal Facility Commissioner Ron Kim said he wanted to get a sense from Council members on where they wanted to go with these projects. There is $1.2 million in the capital budget. Sites have been identified. He was ready to proceed with design or exploration of other ideas, i.e., the lease buy back program. He suggested that a public hearing might be appropriate. He asked the Council for their thoughts. Mayor Valerie Keehn said it would be appropriate to get some input from the public. Commissioner Ron Kim said he would like to have a meeting with the neighbors who would be most impacted by these projects. He wanted to have the meeting before the racing season gets to hectic. He said it would be appropriate to have two public hearings, one for each location. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked if there had been any consideration given to the new EMS facility being constructed by the Town of Saratoga. That facility is to be located just over the bridge. Commissioner Ron Kim said that had not been part of the discussions. He said he wanted to have a dialogue with the residents on the east side and part of those discussions could be whether they wanted a paid EMS/fire staff or volunteers. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the Council is talking about a total of $30 million for the recreation center, EMS facility and a municipal building. He said there needs to be some discussions with the Town of Saratoga and working with them. He asked what would be wrong to contract with the Town of Saratoga for their services. Or to staff that EMS facility with City staff. Cheryl Keyrouze said she had spoken with the Supervisor Wood from the Town of Saratoga on this matter and he was interested in having these discussions. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said these were discussions that needed to take place. He said we are talking about constructing these facilities but not about staffing them. The new recreation facility will need at least five full time staff members. He asked what would be wrong with the paid staff and the volunteer staff working together at the EMS facility. He said we need to know what the total cost is going to be for these facilities before we go out and talk to them. Commissioner Ron Kim said some of the costs have not yet been defined. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked how a conversation could be had with the residents if we didn’t have the information ourselves. Commissioner Ron Kim said the site is the most important item. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the total numbers are what the residents are going to be interested in. They want to know how much it is going to cost. Commissioner Ron Kim said the numbers could be 7 of 9 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 17, 2007 developed, however, timing was important and they are ready to do this project. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said if the City builds an EMS facility along the eastern ridge, mutual aid will be required. He anticipated that the City would be doing many mutual aid calls because the volunteers from the Town of Saratoga won’t be available. He said it might be wiser to offer to the Town of Saratoga to staff the newly constructed EMS facility in the Town of Saratoga. Commissioner Ron Kim agreed that residents would want to know the cost, however, they also need to understand the difference between volunteer staff and paid professional staff. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he was not advocating for volunteer staff, he was suggesting that the City consider discussions with the Town of Saratoga on placing paid staff there. Commissioner Ron Kim said he was open to that discussion. Mayor Valerie Keehn agreed that the residents need to embrace the idea of a partnership with the Town of Saratoga. Commissioner John Franck questioned whether these projects could be placed on the ballot as a referendum. He noted that the change from 1 percent to 2 percent in the bond limits could have been a permissive referendum. Michael Englert said the City may not place an item on the ballot for referendum unless it is authorized by the statute. He said that bonding is within the purview of the Council, therefore, not subject to referendum. He noted that capital projects are within the Council’s authority. There is no charter requirement to place a bond resolution on the ballot. Commissioner John Franck said the school district places items on their ballots for bonding. Michael Englert said they operate under different laws. Commissioner Matthew McCabe said the City had the open space bond act referendum. Michael Englert said a local law was adopted to permit that referendum. Commissioner John Franck asked if another local law could be drafted to allow for a referendum on these projects. Michael Englert said he did not believe that it could be done, however, it could be explored. He said it would be contrary to statute to create a law that would contrast state law to allow for a referendum. Commissioner John Franck said if these projects are bonded, the City will not be able to bond over the next 30 years. These are large numbers. Commissioner Ron Kim agreed that these are large numbers and the City has not spent this kind of money, but this needs to be done. He said he would like to give the residents the opportunity to vote on these projects. However, one way or the other, these issues need to be addressed. Addressing these projects are major goals of his administration. It is his responsibility to ensure that the community has adequate facilities to meet the public’s safety needs. Commissioner Matthew McCabe said he wanted to keep the door open on discussions with the Town of Saratoga on possibly staffing their new facility. Pedestrian Countdown Signals at Broadway, Lake and Church Street Commissioner Ron Kim said the countdown pedestrian crossing signals will be installed at Lake Avenue/Church Street/Broadway. The cost is about $2,600 and can be funded through the existing budget. He said this is a trial to see how well it works and they will seek input from the public on whether they think it works. No Parking on East side of South Franklin Street from Grand Avenue to Beekman Street Commissioner Ron Kim requested a public hearing be set for August 7 6:50 on the no parking on the east side of South Franklin Street from Grand Avenue to Beekman Street. One Way Traffic North on Henry Street from Spring to Lake Avenue Commissioner Ron Kim said there have been quite a few accidents along the Henry Street corridor and making this a one way street is one potential remedy. It would also give the City an additional 30 parking spaces. He has had some preliminary discussions with the Chamber. It’s just an idea and there needs to be some discussion with DPW and the residents. He will report back on this matter. SUPERVISORS Cheryl Keyrouze 8 of 9 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Monthly Resolutions: Cheryl Keyrouze distributed a list of the resolutions adopted by the County Board of Supervisors. She also noted that the 2007 START rebate announcement was made and residents should begin looking for information in the mail on this rebate. Enhanced STAR residents will receive their rebate automatically. Citizens Transportation Committee: The Office for the Aging will begin taking pictures of seniors on August 2 at the Senior Center to be used for identification to get a 50 percent discount on a bus ride. CDTA will have a special route that day to pick up seniors and get them to the center. Saratoga County Fair: Opening day for the fair is July 17 and it will run through July 22. NYRA Open House: NYRA will sponsor an open house on July 22 from 11:00 to 4:00 p.m. It’s a wonderful event and she encouraged everyone to attend. She noted that the New York Horse Park organization will also have a booth at the open house. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD Mayor Valerie Keehn opened the second public comment period. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Valerie Keehn closed the second public comment period. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Valerie Keehn moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:55 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Valerie Keehn adjourned the meeting at 8:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Moran Clerk Approved: 9 of 9