City Council

City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY COUNCIL ROOM TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2008 6:55 P.M. PRESENT: Scott Johnson, Mayor John Franck, Commissioner of Accounts Ken Ivins, Commissioner of Finance Ron Kim, Commissioner of DPS Anthony Scirocco, Commissioner of DPW PRESENT: Matthew Veitch, Supervisor Joanne Yepsen, Supervisor 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 Stewarts Zoning Amendment Mayor Scott Johnson opened the public hearing on the Stewarts Zoning Amendment. Tony Izzo said this is a proposed change to the bathhouse/health center/spa definition to expand the related uses. Because it is not site specific the change would have city wide impacts. 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 6:55 p.m. EXECUTIVE SESSION Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Ken Ivins seconded to adjourn to executive session at 7:02 p.m. to discuss proposed, pending or current litigation. Ayes all. Council members returned at 7:12 p.m. Mayor Scott Johnson reported that no action was taken. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD Mayor Scott Johnson opened the public comment period. Jeanine Laverty, 115 Lawrence Street, said she walks everywhere in the City. It’s good for her health and good for the downtown businesses. She has been keeping a folder since February 6 on the proposed Price Chopper closing. There has been something in the newspaper almost everyday. She said she understood that the Council had no power over private real estate transactions, however, she hoped that the Council could insert some influence. There needs to be a grocery store downtown. 1 of 11 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Scott Johnson closed the public comment period. PRESENTATION Highland Hills Water Mayor Scott Johnson said the residents of this housing development have requested to make a presentation to the Council on their water situation. Mark Gertsman, attorney for the Highland Hills Neighborhood Association, said he was representing 17 homeowners who are in desperate need of a good water supply for their homes. He noted that Tom Swazzo, Senior Engineer from the Department of Health, was also in the audience if the Council had any questions. This housing development is located in the Town of Wilton. Theses residents have not had a good potable water supply in their homes. The City’s water line ends approximately 720 feet from this development. They would have liked to tie into the Town of Wilton’s water line, however it is too far away so the expense would be much greater. They were looking for a cooperative water agreement between the City and the Town to enable them to obtain water from the City. They estimated that they would use about 17,000 gpd. He said the Town is willing to work with the City on this matter. They attempted to discuss this matter in 2002 with the City but there was not full cooperation among all parties. The Department of Health also supports this request. Commissioner Ron Kim asked what was the hold up from 2002. Mark Gertsman said there was no willingness by the Town to work with the City. Commissioner Ron Kim asked who was the developer. Mark Gertsman said it was John Staulson, ACE Homes. Commissioner John Franck asked where the City water line was in relationship to this neighborhood. Bill McTygue, Director of DPW, said the water line is at Ruggles Road. Commissioner Ken Ivins confirmed that all costs for the water line and other related expenses would be paid for by the homeowners and not the City. Mark Gertsman said that the homeowners are exploring that matter now. He said there is a maximum per capita issue so they hoped to work it out with the Town of Wilton. He said, though, that there would be no cost to the City. He said the first issue was to determine where they could obtain water, then they hoped to work out the financial part with the Town of Wilton. Commissioner Anthony Scirocco asked if there had been any preliminary plans drawn for this water line. Mark Gertsman said no, there was some initial exploration, however, it was too costly to draw up plans. Mayor Scott Johnson asked how many homes might be involved. Mark Gertsman said there were 44 homes in Highland Hills and another 40 in Northern Court. Commissioner Ron Kim asked where the Town of Wilton stood on this matter. Mark Gertsman said if the City agrees, there would need to be some legal documents drawn between the Town of Wilton Water & Sewer Authority and the City. Commissioner Ken Ivins said the current agreement between the City and the Town for exit 15 is that the City bills the Town of Wilton. Bill McTygue said the exit 15 water is for commercial customers only at an enhanced cost. He said the agreement is currently under review. Traci Coleman, 16 Knottingham Drive, representing the 17 members of the neighborhood association said they were here this evening to ask the Council to assist them in finding a solution to their water problem. This association was formed in 2004. She said these homes should have never been built because of the serious water issues. They were asking the Council to extend the City’s water line to their development. She purchased her home in 2002 and then found out that there have been problems with the water for nearly 20 years. Their water source is a shallow ground water source which is susceptible to contamination. The wells do not provide an adequate supply of water. They have to limit their bathing and dishwashing. They use bottled water for cooking, eating and drinking. They have had to replace the faucets a number of times because of corrosion. They are unable to have a lawn because they cannot water it. The nitrate levels are quite high in the water. Of the 17 members of this association, 2 of 11 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 13 have lost water completely. All have expended large sums of money on water softeners and new equipment. They all drink bottled water. Fourteen have replaced their well or components of the well. One is still without water. Most well drilling companies refuse to work in this neighborhood. One long time resident had a well dug 700 feet and still found no water. She said that without access to the City’s water line, they would need to have the Town of Wilton line extended more than three miles, which would cost them eight times more than to have it extended from the City’s line. She asked the Council for some help. Ben Rhodes said that he too was asking the Council for some help. They have had this problem for more than 20 years. The equity in their homes is impacted by this. When he purchased his home and moved in 2001, the water yield was at 4 gpm. By the summer of 2002 it was down to 2 gpm. It now operates at 1 gpm where it has stayed for five years. In 2005, he had a well dug to 100 feet, but hit no water. After a long three day weekend, the hole had only 17 feet of water, so the drilling company recommended that they not go any further. They cannot get through a shower without losing water. They replaced their water pressure tank with an 88 gallon tank, but they still only get 1 gpm when refilling the tank. They cannot water their lawns, therefore, there is severe soil erosion with washing away of the dirt and leaving large holes. They too use bottled water for cooking and drinking. They have chosen not to have any children because they cannot support their own water usage. They purchased their home as an investment but would have been better off renting an apartment. They are here this evening to ask the Council for help. There are no other viable alternatives. He hoped that the City and the Town could work together to solve this matter. Mayor Scott Johnson said that no matter what happened, he wished them well. Commissioner Anthony Scirocco said he would like to start a dialogue with the Town of Wilton to see if this was a project that could be moved forward. No Council member objected. CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Anthony Scirocco seconded to approve the consent agenda as follows: 1. Approval of Minutes: February 19, 2008 2. Award of RFP: Post Closure Monitoring Services Weibel Avenue Landfill – CT Male 2. Award of Bid: Grave Marking Flags – Metro Flag - $1,450.08 Walk Off mats – Tri-State Industrial laundries – various prices Grass Seed – UAP Professional Projects – various prices Tree Removal – Donovan Tree Service – various prices Sand – Cranesville Aggregate - $9.85/delivered, $5.95/pickup 4. Extension of Bid (all under same terms and conditions): Motor Vehicle Filters – Napa – 75% off list Port-a-Johns – Big Top Portable Toilets – various prices Material Trommell Screen Rental – NYNE $15,000/month Field Marking Lime – Green Management $4.14 5. Approve Budget Amendments – Attachment A 6. Approve Budget Transfers – Attachment B 7. Approve Payroll 2/22/08 $ 456,722.79 8. Approve Payroll 2/29/08 $ 427,663.65 9. Approve Warrants 2008 Mid MC2FEB08 $ 222,019.72 2008 Regular 1MAR08 $ 322,755.19 Ayes all. 3 of 11 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 MAYOR’S DEPARTMENT 2007-2008 Biddy Basketball Program Sponsorships Linda Terricola said this is a routine item. Firms making donations included: Holiday Inn, Molloy Partners, Knights of Columbus, Champion Buick Pontiac, Turbine Services, Saratoga National, Adirondack Trust, Cudney’s, T-shirt Graphics, Lants, Principessa Elena, Saratoga Springs Firefighters, Afsco Fence, Saratoga Springs PBA, Wilton Elks, Rotary Club, Fashion Floors, Saratoga Quality Hardware, Town & Country Bridge, Adirondack Insurance, Saratoga Capital Finance, Roohan Realty, Harris Beach, Advantage Press, Chestwood Remodeling, Alle rdice, Ben & Jerry’s, Mann Wireless , Therian DNA and Stewarts. Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Ken Ivins seconded to accept the biddy basketball sponsorships as presented. Ayes all. City/Saratoga Phillies co-sponsorship of the Baseball Clinic Linda Terricola said that rather than hold two separate baseball clinics this year, the City and the Saratoga Phillies have agreed to work together. They will hold five clinics co-sponsored by both the City and the Phillies. She said this is generally a breakeven program, however, there may be a slight profit. Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Ken Ivins seconded to approve the Baseball Clinic program as presented. Ayes all. 2008 Soccer at the Saratoga Gaming and Raceway Linda Terricola said that the City is fortunate to have an agreement with the Saratoga Gaming & Raceway to use their fields for the City’s soccer program. The Gaming & Raceway donates the use of their fields to accommodate between 600 and 1,000 children in this program. There is no cost to the City. Commissioner Anthony Scirocco pointed out that DPW maintains the fields, so there is a labor cost. Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Anthony Scirocco seconded to approve the use of the Saratoga Gaming and Raceway fields for the City’s soccer program as presented. Ayes all. Johnson vs. Johnson Baseball Fundraiser Linda Terricola announced that there would be a Johnson vs. Johnson benefit game on Friday, June 6. More details to follow. Grant Recommendations by Community Development Citizen Advisory Committee for 2008 Entitlement Action Plan Pam Polaszcek presented the slate of recommended projects to be funded under the CDBG Entitlement program as follows: Domestic Violence/Rape Crisis $15,000, Legal Aid Society $12,000, Saratoga County EOC $12,000, Catholic Charities Mentoring $8,000, Mother Susan Anderson Emergency Shelter Program $3,000, Saratoga Affordable Housing Group $150,000, Citywide Rehabilitation Grant $60,000, Mother Susan Anderson Emergency Shelter Rehab $15,577, Frederick Allen Lodge Historic Building Preservation $10,000, Franklin Community Center Facility Improvements $10,000, CD Program Administration $70,000. She said this is the first time in her 8 1/2 years on this committee that all requests were funded. Mayor Scott Johnson requested that a public hearing be set for April 1 at 6:55 p.m.. 4 of 11 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 2008 Contract with Saratoga Springs School District re: Recreation Fields Mayor Scott Johnson said this is an arrangement between the City and the school district that has existed for a number of years. The City provides maintenance and capital improvements at the recreation fields and the School District pays the City a fee. He said this is the same contract as in past years. He envisioned reviewing this contract in greater detail at the end of the year to determine the costs involved. Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Anthony Scirocco seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement between the City and the School District for recreational field maintenance. Ayes all. Extension of four 2007 contracts with Blue Wing Services, Inc. re: Consulting Services to Zoning Board of Appeals for Telecommunication Facility Applications Mayor Scott Johnson said there are four separate contracts with Blue Wing Services for consulting services to the Zoning Board of Appeals for Telecommunication Facilities. These contracts are an extension of these services. The contracts are under the same terms and conditions. There is no cost to the City. The applicants pay all related costs. Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner John Franck seconded to approve the contracts with Blue Wing Services for consulting services for the Zoning Board of Appeals for Telecommunication Facility Applications. Ayes all. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Stewart’s Shops Zoning Text Amendment Commissioner John Franck withdrew this item from discussion and requested that the public hearing remain open until the next Council meeting. Assessment Commissioner John Franck said that traditionally notices are sent to residents on May 1 with their assessment information. He announced that he is going to freeze assessments this year as he did in 2006 and 2007. At this point the City is at 77 to 78 property value. He said that even with the stagnant real estate market, Saratoga Springs did show some increase in property values. He said that Malta has gone to 100 percent valuation. There are 30 municipalities in the immediate area with only 2 at 100 percent. On May 1 there will be one more community at 100 percent. He reminded everyone that grievance day is on the fourth Tuesday of May. Before grievance day, the third annual grievance class will be held. This class will help residents in understanding the grievance process. Telecommunications and Generator – Risk & Safety Generator: Marilyn Rivers, Risk & Safety Manager, reviewed the timeline on the generator issues. She said that City Hall had a power failure on Wednesday, February 20 (*refer to March 18, City Council meeting minutes for date correction) at 3:30 a.m. There were several flickers lasting between 3 and 5 seconds and then at 3:30 a.m. the power went down. The generator did not kick in with the complete power failure. The generator powered up, but the switch did not turn on. On Thursday morning, she, the City Electrician Dan Rancour and representatives from Cummings and Stilsing Electric met at the generator to determine what the issue was. The y discovered during the testing that the generator did not switch on at 3:30 a.m. due to human error. They also found two additional electrical problems during this testing which were corrected (acc circuit breaker for the battery charger did not trip and the auxiliary contact 5 of 11 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 needed adjustment). She said the two smaller issues did not contribute to the overall failure of the generator to switch on. The failure of the generator to come on was due to the plastic cover covering the switch. Marilyn Rivers said that the corrective actions include: a) all of the City’s generators have been transitioned to the City Electrician, b) on a quarterly basis, there will be a complete shut down of power to test the equipment, c) a battery back up system for the 911 system is recommended, d) new protocols and procedures will be brought to the Safety Committee for adoption, and e) the Safety Committee and Council will be kept informed on any generator issues. She thanked all of the departments for their help in this matter. Mayor Scott Johnson asked how old is the generator. Marilyn Rivers said the City Hall generator is a brand new. It was purchased through a grant received by former Commissioner Matthew McCabe. Mayor Scott Johnson asked why the generator did not kick in. Marilyn Rivers said when the generator was initially installed and tested, it was tested with the plastic cover removed from the switch. During those tests, the generator kicked on. On Wednesday and Thursday, they discovered that when the switch plate cover was lowered, it prevented the switch from coming on. After discovering this error, they have made the adjustments to the plastic switch plate cover and the generator now kicks on. Commissioner John Franck asked if there had been any other power outages since the generator was installed. Marilyn Rivers said no. She again said though, that the City Electrician will take over the regular inspections and testing of the equipment. Commissioner John Franck asked how long it took for the generators to kick on. Marilyn Rivers said it had been previously reported that it took as long as two minutes. She said that was not true. There is a 12 second delay. Commissioner Ken Ivins asked about the battery back up for the 911 system. Marilyn Rivers said the battery back up would cover the 12 second delay. She said that it was better to be conservative on this matter and have the battery back up. Telecommunications: Marilyn Rivers reviewed the background on the telephone matter. She said on February 12, the City’s Safety Committee met and at that time DPS reported to the committee that there had been three malfunctions of the 584-1800 telephone number in the police department (July 19, 2007, September 25, 2007 and November 8, 2007). At that time the police department requested that the matter be labeled as a health and safety issue. The Safety Committee agreed to facilitate on this matter. She said since that time, they have reviewed the two separate telecommunications proposals and blotter information and a needs assessment was done on February 22. The Safety Committee met again on February 25 to begin problem solving. They received the police department’s need assessment on February 27. Through this assessment, they found that there were multiple vendors for telecommunications. On February 28, Dan Rancour, Jack King and she went to Warren County to see their back up system. Warren County was kind enough to share their invoices and product numbers of their equipment. The Safety Committee met again on February 29. At that meeting, the committee discussed the maintenance records with Frontrunner. It was recommended at that meeting that the City consider mapping the lines throughout City Hall. The Safety Committee recommended the following: a) the vendor work with the City Electrician to trace the lines and identify the weaknesses and b) City install new cables inside of conduit. The Frontrunner representative returned on Monday to trace the lines. The lines were found to be working properly, but the 911 cable system had an additional cable switch in the dispatch area. She said it is a very complicated wiring system with cables making turns, going through walls, being looped around, going through junctions boxes, etc. The pressing issue was that the additional switch system in the dispatch area is impacting the integrity of the system. It is the recommendation of Frontrunner to replace that switch system at a cost of $949. Additionally, they have recommended that a battery back up system be purchased. Marilyn Rivers said at this point, the Mayor’s Department has ordered the system to replace the existing switch system in the dispatch area. There will be a full diagnostic of the system, a quote for the battery back up system will be obtained and there will be a quote to map the system obtained. Also, the 6 of 11 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 dispatch area has been given a list of telephone numbers of individuals to call if there is an emergency. They have instituted a system for the immediate reporting of telecommunications issues in DPS. Monthly reports will be made to the Safety Committee. All of that being said, there needs to be a long term solution. The Safety Committee is working on short term solutions. She thanked all of the departments for giving their time to resolve this matter. Mayor Scott Johnson said that last Friday, the Risk & Safety Office provided him information for release to the press on the three instances in 2007 where the 584-1800 lines were claimed to have malfunctioned. He asked what were the findings of those three instances. Marilyn Rivers said two were due to power failures and the third was due to the battery back up system having a life of only two minutes. She said the City needs to invest in a good battery back up system. She said all three of those instances were separate from the 19 minute loss of power which occurred this past week. She said that coupled with the loss of power and the complicated cable system, the problem has compounded. She said that they need to map the system. Mayor Scott Johnson asked if it was human error. Marilyn Rivers said in one case, a plug was stepped on and came out of the wall, the other two were due to the junction box. Mayor Scott Johnson said these issues were all with the 584-1800 number. Marilyn Rivers said yes, however, still recommended that a battery back up system be purchased. Commissioner Ken Ivins pointed out that the battery back up have a life expectancy of one year. Commissioner Ron Kim said that Marilyn Rivers had done a wonderful job with a very difficult situation. First, though, the public needs to be informed of what is going on in City Hall. Second, the loss of the phone system is a consequence of the complicated wiring system, as everyone has seen in the pictures. Third, while Marilyn Rivers has been able to trace the matter and put it to a timeline, the public and the Council needs to know what happened when the police department was essentially deaf for 19 minutes. He said they were unable to communicate with the outside world. During that time period, there was a call to The Saratoga Hotel. When the power went out at 3:30 a.m. the generator did not kick on. The Chief Dispatcher, Renee Willette, used her personal cell phone to call 911 to ensure that the 911 calls were going to the County. She was able to determine that the County was getting the 911 calls. However, on her second attempt, the line went dead after 4 rings. At that time, there was an alarm for The Saratoga Hotel. They lost power at the hotel as well and when the generator kicked on they smelled smoke so they thought there was a structural fire. He said the dispatch office used the one open telephone line intercom system that goes to the fire house to communicate with the fire house. He said that dispatch is the eyes and ears for the emergency personnel when there is an emergency. They are required to ensure that the right equipment and right personnel gets to the scene. He said they did not know that the fire trucks were going out until they heard the sirens go by. Once the firefighters got to the scene, they could not contact the dispatch center to alert them of what was happening. He said the residents need to know how fragile the telephone system is here in City Hall. He said that both Warren County and Saratoga County have their own dispatch center and he was willing to bet that other cities with dispatch centers have a completely separate, alternative dispatch center for circumstances such as these. He said that without power for 19 minutes, they had to pull a police car up to the door and use the car radio system to communicate. He said the City does not have a separate dispatch center. Both Saratoga and Warren County dispatch areas have an alternative location. He said with a new DPS facility, they too could have the same type of equipment. He said, that finally, there is the issue of how to contact the appropriate staff to get them in here. He said there is a pager system, but no electricity to make the calls. He thanked everyone for their help on this matter, but it was important to remember that the dispatch center had no power for 19 minutes. It was the 911 number that went down for 19 minutes. It’s important to remember that there is still no answer to this problem, why the call to 911 made by Renee Willette get dropped after 4 rings, etc. There can be no margin of error in such instances. Mayor Scott Johnson said it was his understanding that the 911 call for the fire emergency at the hotel automatically transferred to the County. Commissioner Ron Kim said yes. He said 7 of 11 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 that normally, the medical emergency calls go to the County. He said it is important to remember that the police calls need to be continue to be handled out of the City’s dispatch center. The County does not know our streets. The 584-1800 calls go directly into the police department. Mayor Scott Johnson said that the public needs to understand that the 911 calls are backed up by the County. Commissioner Ron Kim said yes that is the back up system. However, if calls get kicked around, it doesn’t work. Mayor Scott Johnson again said that if there is problem with the 911 calls they go to the County system. He further clarified that the fire call to the hotel was relayed to the fire house by the County. Commissioner Ron Kim said that was not accurate. He said that once the dispatcher learned of the need from the county, the fire call was then relayed. FINANCE DEPARTMENT VLT Resolution (08-28) Commissioner Ken Ivins said there were two small changes to the proposed VLT resolution. He said that the VLT matter is a critical issue for the City. Commissioner Ron Kim asked if there were any plans to go down and meet with the legislators on this matter. He said it was quite effective last time. Commissioner Ken Ivins said he would coordinate such a trip with the Mayor’s Office. Mayor Scott Johnson said he had also talked to Senator Bruno on this matter and it would coordinate a meeting. Commissioner Ken Ivins moved and Commissioner Ron Kim seconded to adopt the following resolution: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK WHEREAS, In 2002, The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors resolved to allow the introduction of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) to be installed at the Saratoga Harness Track, renamed Saratoga Gaming and Raceway; and WHEREAS, the City of Saratoga Springs has received distribution of VLT host community revenues from the New York State budget for each of the subsequent years that the VLTs have been in existence, or a sum now equal to approximately 10% of the entire current City operating budget; and WHEREAS, the Governor of the State of New York has proposed in the 2008 Executive Budget that the current level of VLT distribution given to the City of Saratoga Springs be reduced by one half in 2009 and further reduced to zero commencing 2010; and WHEREAS, the City of Saratoga Springs continues to bear the burden of costs associated with hosting a gaming facility within its borders, and the loss of the distribution or any portion thereof will be detrimental to all City taxpayers; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED as follows: 1. The City strongly urges the Governor of the State of New York to reconsider his proposal of reducing and eventually eliminating said distribution. 2. The City recommends that legislation be passed by both houses of the Legislature of the State of New York guaranteeing that the distribution to host municipalities continue at the current or a higher level as long as VLTs are located within the borders of and the financial burden remains on host municipalities. NOW BE IT ALSO RESOLVED: 1. That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the Governor of the State of New York, the Temporary President of the New York State Senate, the Speaker of the New York State Assembly, the Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly and to each member of the New York State Legislature. Ayes all. 8 of 11 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 Commissioner Ron Kim informed everyone that the state police has informed his department that they will eliminate their staff at the racino by the end of March. The currently have nine officers at that location. He said that this could impact the City’s budget. City Finances Commissioner Ken Ivins said that as a follow up to the presentation at the last Council meeting, the presentation has been placed on the City’s web page. He also negotiated with the bankers on some additional accounts and has been able to increase the interest rate on another 15 accounts. He anticipated $60,000 in additional revenue coming in. The first quarter billing has also taken place and he commended his department on a job well done. Lastly, the closing on the emergency performance contract will take place tomorrow. It is for a period of 15 years and there is an interest savings of $227,000. The first payment is due in June 2008. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Water & Sewer Rates and Resolution Commissioner Anthony Scirocco requested that a public hearing on the water and sewer rates be set for March 18 at 6:50 p.m. Proposed Water and Sewer Rate Bill McTygue distributed information on the proposed water and sewer rates. He said they hoped to do a power point presentation at the next Council meeting. He recommended that Commissioners review the material. Included in the material are the rates from 1997. They now also break down the usage by gallon as well as cubic foot. It also shows the unit breakdown for each level of use. Commissioner Ron Kim asked if the proposed rates had been included in the adopted budget. Bill McTygue said they anticipated this increase, discussed it during the budget process and it had been included. He said that during those discussions though, they did not know what the exact increase would be. He said the meters are read and then the residents are billed so there is a lag in billing. He said they planned to make a brief presentation at the next Council meeting and then provide the public with an opportunity to discuss the proposal. He said the recommended water rate increase is due to operating costs and revenues being stagnant. He said over the last three to four years, there has been an accumulating operating deficit. He said that growth in water sales it tied to the rainfall in the spring and summer and to new water connections. Water revenues have not kept pace with the maintenance and upkeep of the water treatment plant and distribution systems. He said this is not unlike the capital budget. There have been substantial increased costs in employee expenses that make it difficult to balance the budgets. He also reminded everyone that the water and sewer budgets are separate from the general operating budgets. Those budgets are supported by the system users. He said these rate increases are an attempt to put those budgets on sound financial footing and for improvements/upgrades to the systems. He said it was noted in the City’s audit that there was a shortfall in these budgets. Commissioner Ken Ivins suggested that this information be placed on the web. Bill McTygue agreed. Commissioner Ken Ivins clarified that Bill McTygue was saying that usage has been flat and costs have risen and this is an opportunity to reverse that trend. Bill McTygue said yes. He said there was no room in the budget to accommodate contingencies. Costs to operate have spiked. He said the operation of the water treatment plant is a big expenditure. Commissioner Ken Ivins asked how much revenue would be generated by these increase. Bill McTygue said the water rate increase would generate approximately $273,000 in new revenue and the sewer rate increase would generate approximately $190,000 in new revenue. He reminded everyone 9 of 11 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 that there is a sliding scale for water usage. A few years ago, they adjusted the minimum flat usage fee. Fees are now based on consumption. The scale increases for a few of the categories and then a decrease towards the top to accommodate the commercial/industrial users. At the lower end it promotes conservation. Commissioner Ken Ivins asked how many users the City has. Bill McTygue said there are 9,000 users. The 0-2,000 level is the highest level of users at 55 percent. There are no users in the highest category. The 2,000-8000 has 36 percent of the users. The 8000-25000 has 6 percent of the users. He said 93 percent of the users are in the first three levels. Mayor Scott Johnson asked how much the average customer uses. Bill McTygue said it’s about 3500. He said he would speak more on this matter at the next Council meeting. He reminded everyone that the City has one of the lowest rates in the area but we have an obligation to maintain the system. There needs to be some contingency funds set aside so that old water mains can be updated. Road Salt for Winter Maintenance Commissioner Anthony Scirocco said everyone is concerned about the lack of salt. He said the City has 145 miles of roads and it takes about 150 tons of salt to de-ice the City for one storm. The City has had quite a few storms recently that required a lot of salt. At this time, they are using a mixture of sand and salt. He said from November 2007 to March 2008 they have used 3850 tons of salt while during the same time last year, they used 2080 tons. He said this is a critical time, but with a little luck, they would get through it. They have been discussing the matter with Saratoga County and NYSDOT. They did receive 37 tons from the County today and NYSDOT said they could supply 40 tons. Change of Date for Public Information Meeting Commissioner Anthony Scirocco said there was supposed to be a public hearing on February 19 on the improvements to the intersection of Church and Myrtle Streets. However, that hearing was postponed to March 10, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the Council room. He said they will discuss the improvements such as: new traffic signal, water main surface drainage, sidewalk connections, etc. DEPARTMENTOF PUBLIC SAFETY Police Department Phone System Previously discussed. SUPERVISORS Joanne Yepsen Smart Cities: Joanne Yepsen said that smart cities now encompass a lot of things including: high speed internet service, bike trails, green infrastructure, etc. She said last Wednesday, Quadgraphics hosted a meeting on the bike trail from Geyser Road to Railroad Run. With the widening of the County bridge on Geyser Road, it made sense to include a sidewalk, therefore, the cost of this trail has significantly decreased because of that County work. Ball Metal donated $10,000 towards a feasibility study. She said that in cooperation with Saratoga Plan, they have made a request to Congresswoman Gillibrand’s Office for a 2009 appropriation of $1 million. Community Preservation Act – Benefits of Real Estate Property Transfer: Joanne Yepsen said that the Board of Supervisors defeated this resolution, however, there is support in the Assembly for a bill to allow property taxes to fund community preservation funding by real 10 of 11 City of Saratoga Springs City Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 4, 2008 estate transfer fees. This bill would allow towns to have the option to enact a local law to collect, one time, a fee to support preservation. It would enable local municipalities to go to local referendum. The fee would be on only that portion of the purchase price of a home that is above the median value of the community. Sunshine Week Program – March 19 & March 20: Joanne Yepsen said she is a co-sponsor with the League of Women Voters of the Sunshine Week. There will be an open government program on March 20 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Skidmore College. George Lattimer, Assemblymen from Westchester County will be the speaker. Frederick Allen Lodge Progress Report: Joanne Yepsen said that a few years ago, that a few years ago it was brought to her attention that the Frederick Allen Lodge was in need of repair. The lodge was recognized by the local preservation foundation had value to the community. She was glad to see that CDGB had recommended funding for this project. There have also been other public and private funds donated. Some of the projects accomplished were roof repairs, kitchen renovation and garage removal. With the phase 2 money, from fundraisers, they planned to do foundation work. They hoped to generate the $15,000 yearly that they need for these renovation projects. Matthew Veitch County Emergency Radio System: Matthew Veitch said that the Board of Supervisors passed the resolutions for the radio system. They approved funding for three towers ($209,000) and two communications huts ($200,000). The huts will be located in the Towns of Milton and Providence. The radio system is open to any communities wishing to participate. Mayor Scott Johnson asked when this project be completed. Matthew Veitch said they must be on line by the end of the year. Geyser Road Trail: Matthew Veitch said the meeting held at Quadgraphics was a well attended meeting. He presented the material that he had accumulated over the last three years. The County Planning Department has been gracious in assisting the Southwest Neighborhood Association on developing an rfp. It went out in January 2008 and five responses were received. The unofficial cost for design and feasibility is between $125,000 and $175,000. The trail is 2.8 miles in length. The initial estimate for this trail was more than one million dollars, however, because the County will be redoing the bridge, the cost has been reduced to $750,000. He said they hoped to raise between $50,000 and $75,000 and they had also submitted a request to Assemblyman Tedisco for $75,000. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Scott Johnson moved and Commissioner Anthony Scirocco seconded to adjourn the meeting at 9:40 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Scott Johnson adjourned the meeting at 9:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Katherine A. Moran Approve: Clerk 11 of 11