Complete Streets Advisory Board

SARATOGA SPRINGS COMPLETE STREETS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 6, 2016 5:20 P.M. RELOCATED: CITY ENGINEER’S OFFICE, CITY HALL ATTENDEES: STEVE GODLEWSKI, LOU SCHNEIDER, KEN GREY, MAUREEN ROBERTS, DOUGLAS HALLER, ROB WRIGHT, AND TINA CARTON. ABSENT: COLIN KLEPETAR, LOU SCHNEIDER – DID NOT RECEIVE LAST MINUTE NOTIFICATION AND TRAVELED TO THE RECREATION CENTER, ORIGINAL LOCATION. GUEST SPEAKERS: NONE 1. AT 5 PM, STEVE GODLEWSKI, DOUGLAS HALLER AND KEN GREY PROVIDED PUBLIC COMMENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL OCTOBER 6TH BUDGET WORKSHOP PRIOR TO THE MEETING REGARDING THE SARATOGA GREENBELT DOWNTOWN CONNECTOR. 2. PUBLIC COMMENT - NONE 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES- 9/1/2016 MEETING a. UNANIMOUS APPROVAL 4. UPDATE ON COMPLETE STREETS PLAN AND POLICY a. STEVE GODLEWSKI UPDATED THE CSAB ON THE CURRENT DRAFT AND TRACK CHANGES TH RESULTING FROM AN OCTOBER 4 MEETING BETWEEN KATE MAYNARD, TINA CARTON, AND STEVE. AT THE MEETING, KATE PROVIDED AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE COMPLETE STREETS POLICY USING EARLIER COMMENTS PROVIDED BY KATE, STEVE AND KEN. KATE PLANS ON INCLUDING THE POLICY AS AN APPENDIX TO THE COMPLETE STREETS PLAN WHEN COMPLETE. b. CSAB REVIEWED THE LANGUAGE IN THE DRAFT COMPLETE STREETS POLICY. NOTES ON THE CHANGES WERE TAKEN AND IT WAS NOTED THAT LEGAL COUNSEL AND GUIDANCE WILL BE SOUGHT AS WELL AS DPS AND DPW INPUT PRIOR TO FINALIZING. 5. NORTH BROADWAY BIKE LANES a. DISCUSSION WAS HELD REGARDING ORGANIZING A PRESS EVENT/PUBLIC RIDE TO CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF THE NORTH BROADWAY BIKE LANES. THE CSAB AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE BEST IF THE EVENT ALSO COINCIDED WITH THE COMPLETE STREETS PLAN PRESENTATION AT CITY COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 1ST. IN ADDITION, IT WAS RAISED THAT THE SGT TRAIL WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT MAYOR, DPW AND DPS WITH STENCILS AND SIGNS AT EVENT. 6. CDTC MINI-GRANT (CARTON) a. TINA CARTON DISCUSSED DISTRIBUTING THE ADDITIONAL HELMETS FROM THE MINI-GRANT AT THE SARATOGA HOUSING AUTHORITY HELMET GIVE AWAY– OCTOBER FESTIVAL, OCTOBER 22ND FROM NOON TO 5 PM. SHE RAISED A CALL TO VOLUNTEER AT THE EVENT WHICH WOULD BE NECESSARY TO FIT THE HELMETS TO ATTENDEES. SHE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH EMAILS TO THE COMMITTEE REQUESTING ASSISTANCE. 7. UPDATE ON CAPITAL BUDGET ITEMS a. TINA CARTON PROVIDED UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF THE FOLLOWING 2017 BUDGET ITEMS: i. #4 PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL - $523,800 (BOND REQUEST) ii. #7 SARATOGA GREENBELT TRAIL DOWNTOWN CONNECTOR - $2,268,665 - $883,238 BOND REQUEST, $150,000 RECREATION FUNDS iii. # 11 BICYCLE-PEDESTRIAN CROSSING -CRESCENT AVE/RT 9 - $49,500 8. SARATOGA GREENBELT TRAIL - DOWNTOWN CONNECTOR AND CRESCENT AVE. a. TINA CARTON PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON THE CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS SUBMISSION FOR A NYS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DOT) 2016 TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM (TAP) GRANT. FEDERAL FUNDING IS AWARDED BY NYS DOT FOR DESIGN, ENGINEERING OR CONSTRUCTION OF BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN, MULTI-USE PATH AND TRANSPORTATION-RELATED PROGRAMS AS WELL AS PROJECTS THAT REDUCE CONGESTION AND HELP TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLEAN AIR ACT. THIS IS THE SECOND GRANT WHICH IS BEING PURSED TO COMPLETE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SARATOGA GREENBELT DOWNTOWN CONNECTOR. IF SUCCESSFUL, THE TAP GRANT WILL PAY FOR 70% OF ALL PROJECT COST. THE CITY IS CURRENTLY REQUESTING $1.358 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TRAIL WITH $582,000 REQUIRED IN LOCAL MATCH. THE LOCAL MATCH WOULD NOT BE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CURRENT MATCH IDENTIFIED IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET. THE GRANT IS DUE ON OCTOBER 21ST. THE CITY SUBMITTED A PRE-APPLICATION ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 AND WILL BE MEETING WITH DOT ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 7TH TO REVIEW THEIR COMMENTS REGARDING SARATOGA’S PROJECT AND METHODS TO STRENGTHEN THE FINAL SUBMISSION. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. TINA CARTON REMINDED THE CSAB TO RESPOND TO THE OPEN SPACE SURVEY AND LET THEM KNOW HOW TO ACCESS THE SURVEY LINK ON THE CITY’S WEBSITE.  b. THE CSAB DISCUSSED THE AMERICA WALKS AND THE EVERY BODY WALK MICRO GRANT FUNDING. THE PROGRAM AWARDS GRANTEES UP TO $1,500.00 FOR PROJECTS RELATED TO INCREASING WALKING AND WALKABILITY. THE TIMELINE ON THIS GRANT IS TIGHT WITH CITY STAFF CONCENTRATING ON THE TAP GRANT SUBMISSION. 10. ADJOURN