City Council

City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY COUNCIL ROOM TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2008 6:15 P.M. PRESENT: Scott Johnson, Mayor Commissioner John Franck, Accounts Commissioner Ken Ivins, Finance Commissioner Ron Kim, DPS Commissioner Anthony Scirocco, DPW PRESENT: Supervisor Matthew Veitch Supervisor Joanne Yepsen STAFF PRESENT: Michele Boxley, Deputy Commissioner, Accounts Patrick Design, Deputy Commissioner, DPW Eileen Finneran, Deputy Commissioner, DPS Kate Jarosh, Deputy Commissioner, Finance Shauna Sutton, Deputy Mayor Joe Scala, City Attorney PUBLIC HEARING Saratoga Springs Library Parking Time Limits Mayor Scott Johnson said this was a proposal to amend Chapter 225 of the City Code to increase the time limit for parking at the library from two hours to three hours between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 pm. Mayor Scott Johnson opened the public hearing on the Saratoga Springs Library parking time limits. Ken Bollerud, 68 Michael Drive, Chair of the Library Board, said the library purchased this parcel from the City during the urban renewal projects. He said there was some concern expressed by the City on public parking spaces so the library agreed to allow public parking in exchange for the City enforcing the two hour time limit. The library maintains the lot. Two hour parking has existed for many years, however, they now find that due to the length of some classes offered at the library and that some of the volunteers work more than two hours, the believe the time limit needs to be increased to three hours. Commissioner Ron Kim said it also needs to be included in the City’s Code book. Kyle York, 59 Railroad Place, encouraged the Council to adopt this amendment to the City’s Code. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Scott Johnson closed the public hearing. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Scott Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:25 p.m. Mayor Scott Johnson said the meeting was called to order a little behind schedule due to the executive sessions and electrical difficulties. 1 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 EXECUTIVE SESSION Water Project Litigation Mayor Scott Johnson reported that there was an executive session on the water project litigation, however, no resolution was reached. Personnel Matter – DPW Mayor Scott Johnson reported that there was an executive session on a DPW personnel matter, however, no resolution was reached. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD Mayor Scott Johnson opened the public comment period, reminding everyone that the public comment period was 15 minutes in length. He asked that comments be restricted to two minutes in length and that they pertain to something on tonight’s agenda or the last agenda. Wilma Koss, 160 Kaydeross Park Road, said she was here this evening on behalf of Mrs. Spencer. Mrs. Spencer would like to know if the archaeological investigation on her property was complete, when the findings would be available for the public and is there a schedule to repair the damage to her property. She asked that someone from the City contact Mrs. Spencer. David Bronner, 5 Royal Henley Court, said he fully supported moving the recreation facility from Weibel Avenue to the southside. The children in this part of the City need it most and this would give them access via walking or biking to this facility. He also noted that if this facility was constructed on Weibel Avenue, any retail business from people using the facility would go to Wilton. He said that there are some environmental issues with the Weibel Avenue location. There has been no completed application submitted to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation on the Saratoga Lake water project and it was time to stop this process. There are other options that the Council should pursue. Kyle York, 59 Railroad Place, said the City should go ahead and complete the application process for Saratoga Lake. He said he did not want to see anything built there though, but the City should have the permit in case of any emergencies. The entire water project is based on the 1988 Sutherland Report. In that report it was stated that the City could run out of water in ten years. He read the Sutherland report as well as visited the author of the report. The projections made in that report were made on very weak scientific data with many caveats. In that report the statements begin with “it is their best guess”. It was also noted in that report that a spill could force the closing of any water source for potable use. The City should have the permit for emergencies. He distributed information to the Council on this matter. Phil Diamond, 29 Waterview Drive, said the City has argued about everything on the water project and at this point it would just be silly to not pursue the permit for Saratoga Lake. He said it simply gives the City another option. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Scott Johnson closed the first public comment period. PRESENTATION West Avenue Special Assessment District Annual Report (08-09) Commissioner Ken Ivins said that Matthew Jones would present the WASAD report. He noted that the material had been previously distributed to the Council. 2 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Matthew Jones, Board member and attorney representing the WASAD, said the WASAD was formed by the Council in 2001 to oversee the road improvements and betterments on the West Avenue project. It was created as a taxing district to pay a portion of these improvements and betterments. Each year the WASAD must make an annual report to the Council. The report was distributed to the Council and it was in order. He noted, however, that there was one lingering issue with this project with the contractor, however, there is no litigation on the matter at this time. He said it is an unresolved claim by the contractor. It is the City’s position that it is not justifiable or supported. Mayor Scott Johnson asked what was the status of the claim. Matthew Jones said that up until about two years ago, there had been some negotiations among all of the parties. Those meetings were set up with the assistance of Senator Bruno’s office. Since that time, though, there have been no discussions or meetings. The claim remains dormant and there is no pending litigation at this time. He said the claim was investigated and it is the City’s position that it was not an unexpected condition. The question was whether the contractor had been adequately informed of the conditions. It is the City’s position that the contractor was aware of the conditions. Commissioner Ken Ivins moved and Commissioner John Franck seconded to accept the West Avenue Special Assessment District Annual Report as presented. Ayes all. CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Ken Ivins seconded to approve the consent agenda as follows: 1. Approve minutes: December 18, December 28, January 1 & January 2 2. Approve budget amendments – South Broadway budget and Railroad Run Trail (Attachment A) 3. Approve payrolls: 1/4/08 $ 312,210.29 1/11/08 $ 448,229.39 4. Approve warrants: 2007 Mid MC4DEC07 $ 147,480.24 2007 Regular 4DEC07 $ 188,293.93 2008 Mid MC1JAN08 $ 183,424.84 2008 Regular 1JAN08 $2,973,431.61 Ayes all. MAYOR’S DEPARTMENT Stewarts Holiday Match Grant Linda Terricola said this is an annual application made by her department to the Stewarts Holiday fund. She said they have received between $2,000 and $5,000 annually under this program. This application is for $10,000 with the funds to be used for the special needs program and recreation equipment. She expected notification by mid-March. Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Ken Ivins seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the grant application for the Stewarts Holiday Match Grant program. Ayes all. WGY Christmas Wish Grant Linda Terricola said this is an annual application made by her department to the WGY Christmas Wish Grant program. They have received between $200 and $500 annually under this program. Any funds received from this grant will be used for the special needs summer recreation program. 3 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Ken Ivins seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the grant application for the WGY Christmas Wish Grant. Ayes all. February & April 2008 Vacation Week Bowling Linda Terricola said this is a new program to be held during the school vacation weeks. They are proposing to offer bowling at Hi Rock Lanes for grades 1 through 12. The cost of the program will be $10 for City residents and $12 for non-city residents. It includes galactic bowling, shoe rental, pizza and soda. The cost to the City is $7. The extra money will cover the cost of staff. There will be no cost to the City for this program. Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Ken Ivins seconded to approve the February & April 2008 school vacation weeks bowling program. Ayes all. Town of Wilton Biddy Basket Ball Agreement Mayor Scott Johnson said this item had been approved at a previous Council meeting, however, there was an error in the written agreement. It was everyone’s understanding that the rental rate would be $55/hour, however, the agreement read $45/hour. It is on this evening’s agenda to correct that error. The total budget impact is $520 and those funds are within the recreation department budget. Linda Terricola said it was an honest oversight. Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Anthony Scirocco seconded to approve the amendment to the rental agreement with the Town of Wilton for the biddy basketball program from $45 per hour to $55 per hour. Ayes all. Soil Sampling from Potential Southside Recreation Field Site for New Indoor Recreation Facility Mayor Scott Johnson said the recreation facility had been discussed for quite some time now. The prior focus had been on the Weibel Avenue location. With a new Council there is some interest in the southside location and to explore the possibility of constructing a recreation facility in that area of the City. Tonight’s discussion is whether to approve soil sampling at the southside field and to not conduct any further testing at the Weibel Avenue location until the results are obtained from the southside. He noted that the cost is about the same between both locations, so there will be no budget impact. They will simply redirect the funds to the new site. Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Anthony Scirocco seconded to allow soil sampling at the southside field location and to withhold further sampling at the Weibel Avenue location until the southside results are available. Commissioner Anthony Scirocco said he was glad to see the City exploring the southside field location. It would better serve the children in this area of the City. Commissioner Ron Kim said he had no problem in exploring the possibility of using the southside location, however, the Council needs to keep its eye on the clock. The funding was first included in the 2006 capital budget and those funds can be rolled for three years only. He said this project needs to be moved along. He also suggested that the City reach out to the residents in that area of the City for their thoughts on having the facility located there. Commissioner Ken Ivins said he was aware of the timetable. He said it was his understanding that if the City chooses the southside, groundbreaking could be in the fall. Linda Terricola said moving from the Weibel Avenue location to the southside was a big advantage to children who live in this area of the City. It was also noted that there had been some reaching out to the residents in this area and they were favorable to having the facility constructed in this area of the City. 4 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Commissioner Ron Kim asked about a traffic study. Linda Terricola said the project would need to go through the SEQR process, so it would be determined at that time if traffic studies were necessary. Commissioner Anthony Scirocco said it was also important to note that the City was looking for LEED status with this building. Ayes all. Artwork Display in Mayor’s & City Attorney’s Offices Mayor Scott Johnson informed Council members the Mayors Office is the recipient of a number of framed artworks by Mark Beckerman. They are on loan from the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. He invited the public to stop by and take a look at the artwork. Zoning Text Amendment Petition – Stewarts Mayor Scott Johnson said this is an application from Stewart’s Shops to amend the definition of “bathhouse/health center/spa”. He said the Council is being asked to determine whether this application has merit and to then forward it to both the City and County Planning Boards’ for advisory opinions. Stewart’s has a property on Maple Dell that this application pertains to. Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded that the zoning text amendment petition from Stewart’s Shop for the amendment to the definition of “bathhouse/health center/spa” has merit and that it be forwarded to the City and County Planning Boards for advisory opinions. Commissioner Ken Ivins said in the interest of full disclosure his wife works for Stewarts. The City Attorney has determined that there is no conflict of interest though. Ayes all. Zoning Board of Appeals Appointment (08-10) Mayor Scott Johnson announced the appointment of Keith Kaplan to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Keith Kaplan will fill the remainder of Matthew Veitch’s term. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Launch of the Parking Deck Sign Program Commissioner John Franck said about a year ago, he presented the parking deck sign program to the Council. He then updated the new Council members on this program. He said it would create revenue for the City, bring business into downtown and beautify the parking structures. He said the revenue generated from this program would be used to offset maintenance of the structures. Through a power point presentation, Commissioner John Franck showed the 10x2 and 5x4 sign, 12 square foot signs. They will be aluminum channel frames, clear coated, digital prints with graffiti resistant panel. He noted that in an edition of the USA Today newspaper dated January 10, 2007, there was a story which stated that the Transportation Security Administration may allow advertisements in the bins used at security check points in airports. Commissioner John Franck said the City will solicit the space to local businesses, local businesses will submit their graphics and then signs will be created on a uniform approved template. The revenue will help to defray the cost of maintaining the parking decks. Consumers will see the signs when they pull into the garage, when they exit their car and when they return to their car. Average daily hits could be 2,520 for the Church Street 5 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 deck and 2,232 for the Putnam Street deck. The possible number of ads could be 18 horizontal and 6 vertical for Church Street and 16 horizontal and 6 vertical for Putnam Street. The cost of maintenance at the Putnam Street parking deck is approximately 20,837 per year and at the Church Street parking deck approximately $15,189 per year. Potential revenue could be as high as $43,200 per year for the Church Street deck and $39,600 for the Putnam Street deck. The price to advertise would be $150/month for local businesses, $500/month for regional businesses and $750/month for national businesses. He said he is not looking for regional and national firms. Commissioner John Franck said once this program is up and running it would be administered by the Accounts Department in conjunction with DPW. He has consulted with the OAAA which writes policy at state and federal levels on such matters. There is advertising at ice rinks and this is similar to that advertising. Michele Boxley noted that the policy administering this program needs to identify that the revenue will go towards maintaining the decks. Commissioner John Franck said that LeChase Construction was a great help in developing the numbers on this project. They also worked with a number of national companies who sell this type of advertising and all believe that these are reasonable numbers. Commissioner John Franck said this program will promote downtown business. Downtown “You are here” maps will be posted. This program will not cost the City any money and it will be used to defray the maintenance cost of the parking structure. Commissioner Ron Kim asked about political signs. Commissioner John Franck said he wanted to be clear that this advertising was for local, regional, national businesses and not political signage. He said the target group is local businesses with month to month leases. The City Attorney’s office is reviewing the licensing agreement. Commissioner Anthony Scirocco asked if the signs would be on both the upper and lower decks. Commissioner John Franck said most of the signage would be on the lower decks. Commissioner Ron Kim said he was glad to see the additional revenues being brought into the City through this program. He said though that there had been some concern with this program violating any City laws. Commissioner John Franck said he did not believe it was violating any City rules and regulations. He said there are billboards throughout the City. Commissioner Ron Kim said the City’s zoning ordinance is very restrictive on logos and signage. Commissioner John Franck said these signs are on the inside of the structure so there is no ZBA or DRC purview. Commissioner Ken Ivins asked abut vandalism. Michele Boxley said the sign company has taken great care in developing a sign that is graffiti resistant. The mounting hardware is also nearly impossible to get to. Commissioner Ken Ivins said there were some stipulations with the County on the use of the Church Street parking deck and charging fees. Commissioner John Franck said the would focus on the Putnam Street deck in the beginning. They will contact the County concerning the Putnam Street deck. Commissioner John Franck showed a sample sign. Update of Novus Agenda Implementation Commissioner John Franck said that on July 17, 2007, the City learned that it had won a grant from the State Archives and Records Administration for $55,987. Since then the Accounts Department has been working hard to implement this program that will digitize the land use boards and the Council’s agenda function. He then updated the progress as follows:  The City is almost done with preliminary background work, which includes the customization of documents and workflow creation  By the end of January we will begin testing the system and reworking any necessary flows and documents  Upon completion of any reworks training of the Council will begin followed by land use boards (1 at a time) wills tart with the council. 6 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008  He envisioned a projection system mounted to the ceiling to project from laptop. Commissioner John Franck said his department is working aggressively, on this grant and he would like to have it in place by February or March. He said he would not force the Council to use the laptops; however, it would eliminate much of the paper that flows from office to office. Deputy Commissioner Michele Boxley said she hoped to being testing the software by the end of January. The testing will follow a document from inception to distribution. She said that she did not anticipate a lot of problems with the electronic version, however, have allotted several weeks to work out the kinks. Authorization for Mayor to sign SARA Grant Application (08-11) Commissioner John Franck said this grant application will take the existing property cards and digitize the information. He said the property cards would then be moved to storage. They would begin with all new properties then move to the existing cards. The grant would pay for the Automated Property Card System, the Apex V3 sketch plan software application, a disto V6 Laser measuring device; a server to accommodate the storage of the digital data, a computer with ample memory for the sketches and digital photos Commissioner John Franck said this grant application totals $75,000. To date the City has applied for 23 grants and received 21 for a total amount of $408,564. This is a non matching grant. Therefore, Commissioner John Franck moved and Commissioner Ken Ivins seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the SARA grant application in an amount not to exceed $75,000 for the Automated Property Record Card System. This is a non-matching grant. Commissioner Ron Kim said the City needs one central repository on properties. He said that various departments ranging from the Accounts Department, to the Building Department, to the Fire Department, to Code Administration all keep sets of files on structures. There needs to be a system whereby this information is integrated so that staff has all of the information. There needs to be some long range plan and he was willing to work with the Finance Department on this matter. Commissioner John Franck said the City has this software but we are simply not using it. He said there are municipalities where firefighters have laptops in their computer and when they are going on a call, they can pull up a picture or the structure and the floor plan. He said that we have the pieces of the puzzle, they just need to be connected. Ayes all. Award of Bid – South Broadway Rehab Project Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works, Commissioner John Franck moved and Commissioner Anthony Scirocco seconded to award the bid for the South Broadway Rehabilitation Project in the amount of $1,856,562.80 to Kubricky Construction. He further moved to authorize the Mayor to sign the contract documents, contingent upon the review of the City Attorney and Risk & Safety Manager. The money is in the capital budget. Ayes all. Status of Update to City Web Site Commissioner John Franck said about a year ago, the Council was discussing making the web site more user friendly. He said because IT falls under the Finance Department and because of Commissioner Ken Ivins expertise in this field, he believed it was now appropriate to have the Finance Department take a fresh look at making the City’s web site more user friendly. There 7 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 have been discussions on including a state of emergency alert section, a town crier section and the ability to pay some fees on line. Last year there were proposals from four companies, all of which were under $10,000. His department will work with the Finance Department on this project. Commissioner Ken Ivins said he had some ideas on this and he hoped to work on this within the next three to six months. Commissioner John Franck said there might be some grants available for this project. Mayor Scott Johnson said that he would have the City Attorney look into paying bills on line. FINANCE DEPARTMENT Payroll Transfer Inventory Clerk Commissioner Ken Ivins moved and Commissioner Anthony Scirocco seconded to approve the payroll transfer for the inventory clerk as presented. It has met the transfer guidelines and the availability of funds is certified (Attachment B). Ayes all. Tax Anticipation Note (08-12) Commissioner Ken Ivins moved and Commissioner John Franck seconded to approve the tax anticipation note dated January 15 in the amount of $3,000,000 as distributed contingent upon the City Attorney providing the appropriate opinion letter (Attachment C). Commissioner Ken Ivins said this TAN is to cover the NYS retirement system payment. Roll call vote: Commissioner John Franck aye Commissioner Ken Ivins aye Commissioner Anthony Scirocco aye Commissioner Ron Kim aye Mayor Scott Johnson aye Ayes all. Budget Transfer – Inventory Clerk Position Commissioner Ken Ivins moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded to add to the agenda the budget transfers for social security, hospitalization and vision benefits for the Inventory Clerk position. Ayes all. Commissioner Ken Ivins moved and Mayor Scott Johnson seconded to approve the budget transfers for social security, hospitalization and vision benefits for the inventory clerk position as presented. It has met the transfer guidelines and the availability of funds is certified (Attachment D). Ayes all. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Garage Attendant’s Salary (08-13) Commissioner Anthony Scirocco moved and Commissioner Ken Ivins seconded to increase the part time garage attendants’ salary to equal the DPW laborer starting pay and steps 1, 2 & 3 effective January 14, 2008. These are part time employees, outside of the DPW contract who cover the garage on weekends and holidays. Ayes all. Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee 8 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Commissioner Anthony Scirocco said he would attend the workshop scheduled for Thursday, January 24 at 10:00 a.m. at the Crossings of Colonie sponsored by the Capital District Transportation Committee and NYSDOT on the Safe Plan Near Schools program. He invited any interested Council members and/or staff to attend. This program will provide funding to municipalities for infrastructure and noninfrastructure (education campaigns, traffic enforcement, etc.) initiatives near schools. He said the goal of the program is to make walking and biking to school more safe. He will keep the Council updated on this program. Capital Budget Amendment – Excelsior Spring Drive Paul Male said that the Council needs to approve a capital budget amendment for approximately $7,000 to cover the change orders for the Excelsior Avenue culvert project that was recently completed. He asked that a public hearing be set. He said the projected budget was $327,448 and with these change orders it was now at $334,768. It was agreed that a public hearing would be held on February 5 at 6:55 p.m. on this matter. SLIPD Appeal Commissioner Anthony Scirocco withdrew this item from discussion. Casino Commissioner Anthony Scirocco informed Council members that there had been some damage to the Casino during the recent storms and it was likely that there would be some insurance claims. He would keep the Council up to date on this matter. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Design Process for Public Safety Building Commissioner Ron Kim thanked the committee that has worked long and hard on this project. He said their work was done and his department is moving to the next step of retaining a design consultant – Labella Associates. He made three offers to the Council: 1) the possibility of LaBella presenting the original study – they will have copies available for the Council in the near future; 2) He requested that each Council member submit a name of an individual to sit on the design oversight committee. This committee will oversee the design process for the next 10 to 14 months for a new facility on High Rock Avenue. The meetings will be held late in the day. Staff from the City would include Paul Male and Chief Ed Moore. He expected the first meeting to be held in the last week of January. 3) BBL is in the middle of an extensive rehabilitation at the Albany Supreme Court, which is an historic building. He offered to arrange a tour for any Council member who wished to see how that rehabilitation was moving along at that 24/7 operation. Commissioner Ron Kim said the consultants will be brought in to discuss this matter with the Council and to answer any questions that Council members might have. Mayor Scott Johnson said the committee needed a charge before individuals are appointed. Commissioner Ron Kim said their charge is to follow the process that has occurred over the last 12 months. Funding has been included in the 2008 budget and the City will make interest payments this year on that bond. The design process has begun with the approval of the last Council. The committee is charged with overseeing the process and to ensure that the consultants move forward. They are charged based on the votes that the Council has taken. Mayor Scott Johnson said the Council should discuss this project with the consultants before the committee is formed. Commissioner Ron Kim said his concern is that there is $1 million already budgeted and available for the design portion. Included in the 2008 budget is the money to do the construction. To further delay this project is not good for the City and he did not want to 9 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 delay the process. If the Council so desired, he could ask the consultants to come in and meet with the Council sometime during January. Mayor Scott Johnson suggested to reverse the order of the process and to have the consultants make a presentation and then give direction to the committee. Commissioner Ron Kim said the consultants could be brought in for a workshop meeting. Saratoga Springs Library Parking Time Limits Ordinance (08-14) Commissioner Ron Kim moved and Commissioner John Franck seconded to approve the following ordinance: AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 225 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK, ENTITLED “VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC”. BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Saratoga Springs, New York, as follows: SECTION 1. Chapter 225 of the Code of the City of Saratoga Springs, New York, entitled “Vehicle and Traffic”, is hereby amended as follows: A. Section 225-87 is amended to add the following to “Schedule XII: Time-Limit Parking” TIME LIMIT NAME OF STREET SIDE HOURS/DAYS LOCATION Putnam Street East 3 hrs. Public library 9 am – 6 pm parking lot SECTION 2. This ordinance shall take effect the day after publication as provided by the provisions of the City Charter of the City of Saratoga Springs, New York. Ayes all. Council members wished Harry Dutcher, Director of the Library, well in his retirement. Town of Colonie Police Range & Training Facility Agreement Commissioner Ron Kim moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded to approve the agreement with the Town of Colonie for the police range and training facility contingent upon the review of the city attorney. Commissioner Ron Kim said there was no cost to the City, however, the Town of Colonie is asking for a hold harmless agreement. Ayes all. Public Property Use Permit Ordinance Commissioner Ron Kim requested that a public hearing be set for the February 5, at 6:45 p.m. on the public property use permit. He said this pertains to any item that is left on public property, i.e., construction vehicles. The City would require a permit so that the City would then have a contact person should there be a problem with the item being placed on public property. Street Closing Procedures Ordinance Commissioner Ron Kim requested that a public hearing be set for February 5, 6:35 p.m. on street closing procedures. He said there needed to be better coordination among all of the departments. 10 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 New Police Officers Commissioner Ron Kim announced the he had sworn in three new police offers today. He said they recently graduated from the Zone 5 Law Academy. SUPERVISORS Supervisor Joanne Yepsen Report on the State of the State: Joanne Yepsen said she attended Governor Spitzer’s State of the State address and all of the surrounding events leading up to and following the address. She said she has had some good discussions with state officials. Governor Spitzer would also present a state of the upstate address within the next day or two. In the state of the state address he talked abut education, growth, SUNY/CUNY tuition, affordable health care and jobs. He also mentioned parks and public places which could mean a substantial amount of funding for this are to upgrade the surrounding parks. County Update: Joanne Yepsen said the County held their organizational meeting on January 3 with George Hargrave as the new Board chair. She was assigned to the following committees: Legislative & Research, Public Health, Public Safety and Racing. She said items discussed at that meeting included new rules on how the Board conducts its business and the addition of a personnel committee. She said each month the Board of Supervisors produces a calendar of all of its meetings and subcommittee meetings. She would keep Council members informed. She said it was good to see Commissioner Ken Ivins at the Board meeting today. It showed the City’s willingness to work with the Board. Planning Conference: Joanne Yepsen said each year the County Planning Department hosts a planning conference for all new land use board members. This conference would be held on January 30 at the City Center. She encouraged the appropriate individuals to attend. Office for the Aging: She said a notice has gone out from the Office for the Aging seeking volunteers. Property Auction: The next property auction will be held on March 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the County building. Supervisor Matthew Veitch Committee Assignments: Matthew Veitch reported that he had been assigned to the following committees: Economic Development, Racing, Public Safety and Social Programs. He had also been appointed to the Gaming and Raceway Foundation. That foundation was formed to assist the community with gambling issues and they also distribute grants at the end of the year. He also reported that he had been appointed to the new formed County Autism Council. This is an issue brought to the county by Assemblyman Roy McDonald. The purpose of this Council is to act as a “clearing house” by directing those in need to the appropriate service providers and to offer assistance to those families. He said that Anita Daly is the chair of that committee. Geyser Road Trail: Matthew Veitch said he had been working on the Geyser Road Trial project for several years. The proposed trail would lead from the Town of Milton to the NYS DOT building on West Avenue. He said that Jason Temper from the Saratoga County Planning Department is assisting them on developing an rfp that would go out to engineers to design the trail. This is a good project for this area of the City. There will be a meeting at the end of February with the various interested parties to determine what kind of assistance could be sought from the surrounding companies in this area. Joanne Yepsen said the Geyser Road Trail 11 of 12 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 15, 2008 system is part of a more comprehensive trail network that will go through the state park, Geyser Road, Railroad run, etc. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner John Franck seconded to adjourn the meeting at 9:45 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Scott Johnson adjourned the meeting at 9:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Katherine A. Moran Clerk Approved: 12 of 12