City Council

September 17, 2012 CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS City Council Pre- Agenda Meeting PRESENT: Scott Johnson, Mayor Michele Madigan, Commissioner of Finance John Franck, Commissioner of Accounts Anthony Scirocco, Commissioner of DPW Christian Mathiesen, Commissioner of DPS STAFF PRESENT: Shauna Sutton, Deputy Mayor Lynn Bachner, Deputy Commissioner, Finance Sharon Kellner-Chille, Deputy Commissioner, Accounts Eileen Finneran, Deputy Commissioner, DPS Joe Scala, City Attorney Matthew Veitch, Supervisor EXCUSED: Tim Cogan, Deputy Commissioner, DPW ABSENT: Joanne Yepsen, Supervisor CALL TO ORDER Mayor Johnson called the meeting to order at 9:36 a.m. PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. Amend Chapter 175 Entitled Property Maintenance PRESENTATION 1. Saratoga Springs Housing Authority EXECUTIVE SESSION 1. None CONSENT AGENDA 1. Approval of 8/28/12 Public Hearing Minutes 2. Approval of 9/4/12 City Council Pre-Agenda Minutes 3. Approve Budget Amendments (Increases) 4. Approve Budget Transfers - Regular 5. Approve Payroll 9/7/12 $446,378.98 6. Approve Payroll 9/14/12 $421,528.62 7. Approve Warrant 2012 Mid – 12MWSEP1 $598,002.35 8. Approve Warrant 2012 Reg – 12SEP2 $510,219.27 City Council Pre-Agenda Meeting September 17, 2012 No comments on the above. MAYOR’S DEPARTMENT 1. Discussion and Vote: Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions for 60 Lake Avenue Mayor Johnson advised a memo was sent out last Friday from Tony Izzo regarding this issue. The agreement is attached to the agenda. This issue started years ago regarding the clean up at the Fire House; the old coal and tar that was there. Tony Izzo explained New York State mandated that anywhere there was a gas facility it needs to be looked at and improved accordingly. National Grid will have to monitor the site from time to time. This is a confirming document for something National Grid had to do. 2. Discussion and Vote: Authorization for Mayor to Sign CSEA DPW Vision Plan Contract Mayor Johnson advised this was not forwarded to them previous even though it covers the period of 2009 through the end of this year. CSEA sent this to them in late August asking them to sign the agreement. It is a confirmation of what has been happening and sets forth the rates that we have been paying. 3. Discussion and Vote: Accept Donation for Solomon Northup Day Celebration Mayor Johnson advised the Adirondack Trust Company donated $100 for this event. ACCOUNT’S DEPARTMENT 1. Award of Bid: Senior Center Heating System Upgrade to Alltek Energy Systems, Inc. No comment. 2. Discussion and Vote: Local Law #1 Language Commissioner Franck brought this to Council a couple weeks ago to review and has not received any comments. He is bringing this up for vote even though it is not required. 3. Discussion: Human Resource Position Commissioner Franck advised he forwarded an e-mail to the Council regarding filling the human resource position. He has been receiving calls from people who want the job. He is willing to work with the Mayor’s Office to help fill the position. FINANCE DEPARTMENT 1. Discussion and Vote: Ice Rink Debt Commissioner Madigan advised the debt on the Weibel Ice Rink is set to expire March 2013. She will be coming forward with a recommendation for the next 4 years to use the Recreation Trust Fund to help supplement some debt on this rink. Lynn Bachner, Deputy Commissioner of Finance advised the Weibel Ice Rink debt is expiring and the Vernon Avenue Rink has 4 more years. Historically it has been $70,000 per year; however for the next 4 years it will be a little more than $70,000 for each year. They are asking to use $7,000 - $9,000 per year from the trust fund to supplement that. Page 2 of 5 City Council Pre-Agenda Meeting September 17, 2012 2. Discussion and Vote: Budget Amendments - Benefits No comment. 3. Discussion and Vote: Budget Transfers - Payroll No comment. 4. Discussion and Vote: Budget Transfers – Benefits No comment. 5. Discussion and Vote: Budget Transfers – Legal Liability (EBP) No comment. 6. Set Public Hearing: Set Public Hearing to Enact Local Law #5 Relative to Occupancy Tax No comment. 7. Set Public Hearing: Set Public Hearing for the 2013 Comprehensive Budget No comment. Commissioner Madigan advised she need to make a correction to the resolution passed at the last Council meeting for Doten Avenue. The tax map number and address needs to be revised. She asked if the Council preferred to have that correction go on the Consent Agenda or if they wanted her to add it to her agenda. Mayor Johnson and the Council agreed this could go on the Consent Agenda. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT 1. Discussion and Vote: Authorization for Mayor to Sign a Contract with Alltek – Senior Center Heating System No comment. 2. Discussion: Street Signs & Street Lights Commissioner Scirocco stated they have spent $5,000 on street sign replacements this year. The calls regarding missing street signs are not going to DPW but rather the people are calling the Saratogian or making a comment on line. He asked the public to contact DPW or the Police Department to report this issue so it can be taken care of. 3. Announcement: The Veteran’s Memorial Brick Program No comment. 4. Announcement: Update Ballston Avenue Reconstruction Project Commissioner Scriocco stated they are ready to meet with the neighbors in the area as they have a couple of concepts to present to them and discuss. Commissioner Franck stated he has a small business interest in a building at 68-70 Ballston Avenue. He stated he can sit there but will not be able to participate in the discussion or vote on this. Page 3 of 5 City Council Pre-Agenda Meeting September 17, 2012 5. Announcement: Visitor Center Roof Construction No comment. PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT 1. Discussion and Vote: Amend Chapter 175 of the City Code Entitled “Property Maintenance” and Retitle as “Costs of Summary Remediation” No comment. Commissioner Mathiesen advised he will be adding an item to his agenda setting a public hearing to make the one way traffic on Glenmore Avenue a permanent change. Commissioner Mathiesen stated he would like to have an executive session to discuss the contract process not specific negotiations. He would also like to include some members of the administration of various departments and employee representatives. They would like to discuss their concerns regarding the process and lack of progress over the past years. Mayor Johnson stated he ran this by legal counsel and has been informed it is not advised to do this. They have no problem sitting with the Council to explain where they have been and where they are going. Commissioner Mathiesen also asked if they could get into the discussion of the Wilton water contract during executive session. Commissioner Scirocco stated the current contract permits the sale of water to Wilton. Our attorneys and Wilton’s attorneys have looked at this and we can sell water to Wilton up to 250,000 gallons per day. This was put in place by the previous administration. He doesn’t believe it says in the contract if it is a commercial or residential sale. Commissioner Madigan stated she would prefer this come back to the table as her reading of the contract indicates it is commercial. Tony Izzo stated they also reviewed this with state officials and they are in agreement with what they found. Commissioner Madigan stated she would like to see the correspondence from legal. SUPERVISORS JOANNE YEPSEN MATTHEW VEITCH 1. Public Safety Committee No comment. 2. Social Programs Committee Page 4 of 5 City Council Pre-Agenda Meeting September 17, 2012 No comment. 3. Saratoga County Sewer District No comment. 4. 2013 County Capital Budget No comment. 5. NYSAC Conference No comment. ADJOURN Mayor Johnson adjourned the meeting at 10:17 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Lisa Ribis Clerk Approved: 10/16/12 Vote: 5 - 0 Page 5 of 5