City Council

August 1, 2016 CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS City Council Pre-Agenda Meeting 9:30 AM PRESENT: Joanne Yepsen, Mayor Michele Madigan, Commissioner of Finance John Franck, Commissioner of Accounts Anthony Scirocco, Commissioner of DPW Christian Mathiesen, Commissioner of DPS STAFF PRESENT: Meg Kelly, Deputy Mayor Lynn Bachner, Deputy Commissioner, Finance Maire Masterson, Deputy Commissioner, Accounts Eileen Finneran, Deputy Commissioner, DPS Vince DeLeonardis, City Attorney Peter Martin, Supervisor EXCUSED: Tim Cogan, Deputy Commissioner, DPW Matthew Veitch, Supervisor CALL TO ORDER Mayor Yepsen called the meeting to order at 9:35 a.m. PUBLIC HEARING Amend Chapter 165 Peddling ad Vending Commissioner Franck stated this is a carry-over from the last meeting. There will be a vote on this tomorrow. CONSENT AGENDA 1. Approval of 7/18/16 Pre-Agenda Meeting Minutes 2. Approval of 7/19/16 City Council Meeting Minutes 3. Approve Budget Amendments (Increases) 4. Approve Budget Transfers – Regular 5. Approve Budget Transfers – Regular (Capital) 6. Approve Payroll: 07/22/16 $471,938.54 7. Approve Payroll: 07/29/16 $527,238.32 8. Approve Warrant: 2016 Mid – 16MWJUL2: $6,692.34 9. Approve Warrant: 2016 REG – 16AUG1: $761,128.59 No comments. City Council Pre-Agenda Meeting August 1, 2016 MAYOR’S DEPARTMENT Discussion and Vote: Accept Donation from Dehn’s Flowers for the Solomon Northup Commemoration No comments. Discussion and Vote: Accept Donation of Bottled Water from Saratoga Springs Water for the Solomon Northup Commemoration No comments. Discussion and Vote: Adopt Parking Task Force Recommendations No comments. Discussion: Code Blue Update No comments. Discussion and Vote: Correction Re: 6/21/16 and 7/19/16 Motions to Establish a Full Time Civil Service Clerk in the Civil Service Department Effective June 22, 2016 Mayor Yepsen stated this is another correction to the motion. Mayor Yepsen added 2 items to her agenda: Discussion and Vote: Services Rendered by Harris Beach and Update: Nelson Avenue Bridge Closing. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Discussion and Vote: 2016 Purchasing Policy Stefanie Richards, assistant purchasing agent, advised they referenced many sources to see what they were doing. The changes are to benefit the City. There is a strong recommendation from the Comptroller’s Office to create an RFP for professional services. Commissioner Scirocco stated he would like to have their business manager be able to sign vouchers. Commissioner Franck stated he has no problem with that. Commissioner Scirocco asked for emergency to be better defined. Stefanie stated the definition according to the state is harm to the public’s well being or an asset and has to be completely unpredictable. Commissioner Madigan stated she had been told at one point that brokerage services and professional services require an RFP. Stefanie explained again it is not required but strongly suggested to do an RFP for those situations. Commissioner Madigan stated until she is told to do so by the comptroller, she will not create an RFP for her broker services. She is not going to hold this up and will be voting for the Purchasing Policy Manual. Discussion and Vote: Amend Chapter 165 Entitled Peddling and Vending No comments. Page 2 of 5 City Council Pre-Agenda Meeting August 1, 2016 Award of Bid: HVAC Services to BPI Mechanical No comments. FINANCE DEPARTMENT Commissioner Madigan asked Mayor Yepsen for clarification of the item she added regarding Harris Beach. Mayor Yepsen advised she will be uploading the letter of engagement and services rendered from Harris Beach. Commissioner Madigan confirmed the Harris Beach issue is for legal services in relation to the ethics violation as she has expended City funds with approval. Mayor Yepsen stated no money has been spent. Commissioner Madigan stated she has to get appropriations before engaging legal services. nd Discussion: 2 Quarter Financial Report No comments. Discussion and Vote: Resolution for Non-Union Full Time Personnel for 2017 Commissioner Madigan stated the Council is required to review this by the first meeting in August each year. Discussion and Vote: Authorization for the Mayor to Sign an Intermunicipal Agreement with Saratoga Housing Authority for Affordable Housing Study Commissioner Madigan stated the Council approved a letter of intent at the last Council meeting. This agreement is to accompany that letter. Discussion and Vote: Authorization for the Mayor to Sign Agreement with SaxBST Commissioner Madigan stated this is in relation to an issue that was brought to her from the Special Assessment District. Commissioner Franck advised this came from Tom Roohan who sits on the board. Commissioner Madigan has not provided them with any of the properties other than the Washington building. They met with the Matt Jones. Commissioner Madigan stated the Council is well aware she asked Commissioner Franck for several meetings. She has plenty of information but he has decided not to meet with her. There is an assessment issue in the Special Assessment District. Commissioner Franck stated they met with both special assessment districts. They went through the various properties. They met with the board, who had no idea about any of this and were shocked. During the process, they went through the whole history and there are some amendments. Commissioner Madigan stated the Special Assessment District met with the director of finance. She needs to have this contract in place in case it is needed. Page 3 of 5 City Council Pre-Agenda Meeting August 1, 2016 Tony Popolizio, assistant assessor, advised they have been able to identify all parcels in question after meeting with the Special Assessment District. He researched the parcels regarding why they were left out of the districts or why they were the way they were. Some are clerical errors and some have been that way since 2004. They went through the parcels one by one with Rod Sutton. There is a meeting th scheduled for August 24 with the Board of Assessment Review. Letters have been sent to all 24 property owners to advise what the error was and how the error is going to be corrected. The property owners have the option to attend the meeting and ask questions. Once the meeting takes place the tax roll will be updated. Commissioner Madigan stated she does know there is an issue with the condos and wondered what was going on with that. Tony Popolizio stated the City Code has exclusion for resident type properties. The condos are being used for residential and therefore are excluded. Several are commercial and will be included and there were 3 found that were included that should not have been and will be removed. Commissioner Madigan stated if the assessment district is fine with this that she can remove this item. Discussion and Vote: Budget Transfers – Payroll No comments. Discussion and Vote: Budget Transfers - Benefits No comments. Discussion: Decorum at Meetings No comments. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Discussion and Vote: Authorization for the Mayor to Sign Curb Agreements No comments. Discussion and Vote: Authorization for the Mayor to Sign Agreement Addendum #7 with Greenman Pedersen, Inc. for the Ballston Ave. Traffic Improvement Project No comments. Discussion and Vote: Appointment to the Civil Service Commission No comments. PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT Discussion and Vote: Authorization for Mayor to Sign STOP DWI Agreement with Saratoga County No comments. Set Public Hearing: Amend Chapter 225, Article IX Schedules Sub-Section 225-81, Schedule XVI Parking Prohibited All Times No comments. Page 4 of 5 City Council Pre-Agenda Meeting August 1, 2016 Discussion: Short Term Rentals No comments. Discussion and Vote: Accept Ethics Board Opinion Regarding “Mayor’s Box” No comments. Discussion: Emergency Management Plan No comments. SUPERVISORS MATTHEW VEITCH nd th 1. National Association of Counties Conference – July 22 – 25 2. Brown’s Beach PETER MARTIN 1. Nothing at this time. Supervisor Martin stated he will be reporting on County procedures concerning brokerage RFPs. ADJOURN Mayor Yepsen adjourned the meeting at 10:31 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Margaret LoPresti Clerk Approved: 8/16/16 Vote: 5 - 0 Page 5 of 5