Complete Streets Advisory Board

SARATOGA SPRINGS COMPLETE STREETS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES JANUARY 5, 2016 5:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL ATTENDEES: STEVE GODLEWSKI, DOUGLAS HALLER, LOU SCHNEIDER, ROB WRIGHT, MAUREEN ROBERTS, KEN GREY, AND TINA CARTON. ABSENT: COLIN KLEPETAR. PUBLIC: MOLLY GAGNÉ AND CHERYL GREY MEETING MINUTES ARE NOT A WORD-FOR-WORD TRANSCRIPT.  CALL TO ORDER - STEVE GODLEWSKI CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 5:04 P.M.  PUBLIC COMMENT – STEVE GODLEWSKI OPENED THE PUBLIC COMMENT AT 5:05. a. MOLLY GAGNE GAVE AN UPDATE TO THE COMMITTEE ON THE PROGRESS ON THE GEYSER RUN MULTI-USE TRAIL. THE COMMUNITY IS EXCITED ABOUT THE TRAIL BEING COMPLETED WITH NEW RESIDENTS CITING THEIR DECISION TO MOVE INTO THE COMMUNITY AS A RESULT OF THE NEW TRAIL GIVING THEM ACCESS TO THE STATE PARK AND THE CITY. THE BARRIERS TO THE TRAIL HAVE BEEN THE DOT REGULATIONS ON TREE REMOVAL OTHER THAN DURING WINTER MONTHS DUE TO LONG EAR BATS AND PROPERTY EASEMENT ISSUES. ANOTHER CONCERN RAISED WAS THE CURRENT TRAFFIC SPEED LIMIT ON GEYSER ROAD AND IF THIS SHOULD BE LOWERED IN ANTICIPATION OF INCREASED USE OF THE ROAD BY BICYCLIST AND PEDESTRIANS.  APPROVAL OF MINUTES- 12/08/2016 MEETING a. COPIES OF THE MINUTES WERE DISTRIBUTED AT THE MEETING FOR REVIEW. WITH A QUORUM PRESENT, STEVE GODLEWSKI MADE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES, FIRST MAUREEN ROBERTS, SECOND LOU SCHENIDER. UNANIMOUS VOTE TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES.  UPDATE ON COMPLETE STREETS PLAN  a. CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE COMPLETE STREETS PLAN AT THE DECEMBER 20TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING. ALTA PLANNING AND DESIGN WILL BE UPDATING THE COMPLETE STREETS PLAN TO INCORPORATE THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE DRAFT CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS COMPLETE STREETS PLAN RESULTING FROM THE COMPLETE STREETS MEETING WITH DPS, DPW AND FINANCE ON DECEMBER 13, 2016.  UPDATE ON COMPLETE STREETS POLICY a. DPS AND DPW ARE WORKING WITH KATE MAYNARD TO EDIT THE POLICY. THE MAIN CONCERNS ARE THE “SHALL” VS. THE “SHALL CONSIDER” AND/OR “SHOULD”. THE CITY WILL BE LOOKING FOR THE BEST METHODS TO INCORPORATE COMPLETE STREETS OPPORTUNITIES INTO PLANNING PROJECTS AND WHAT LANGUAGE WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO STRENGTHEN THE EXISTING POLICY WITHOUT MANDATES THAT THE CITY MAY NOT HAVE THE FUNDING TO ALWAYS COMPLETE.  INVENTORY OF BIKE RACKS a. WITH BIKE SHARE COMING, CDTA WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO INDENTIFY EXISTING BIKE RACKS AND BEST LOCATIONS FOR NEW RACKS. THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED THAT MANY BUSINESSES TAKE THEIR BIKE RACKS INSIDE FOR WINTER SO SPRING WOULD BE THE BEST TIME TO START THE INVENTORY IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE WE ARE INCLUDING SEASONAL BIKE RACKS THAT WILL BE PUT BACK OUT. DOUG HALLER SHARED BIKEATOGA’S BIKE RACK INVENTORY WITH TINA CARTON WHO WILL FORWARD IT TO KATE. IN EARLY SPRING, THE COMMITTEE WILL WORK ON ISSUING A PRESS RELEASE WELCOMING THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INVENTORY AND ASK FOR THEM TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS ON OTHER LOCATIONS THAT BIKE RACKS WOULD BE HELPFUL.  INNOVATIVE METHODS TO ENCOURAGE SNOW REMOVAL a. THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED INNOVATIVE METHODS TO ENCOURAGE SNOW REMOVAL ON SIDEWALKS. AS A FIRST STEP, DOUG HALLER AND MAUREEN ROBERTS WILL ORGANIZE A MEETING WITH DPS TO DISCUSS WHAT THE CITY IS CURRENTLY DOING AND WHAT BARRIERS THE CITY FEELS IMPACTS THEIR ABILITY TO ENFORCE SNOW REMOVAL. DOUG WILL TRY TO SET UP A MEETING IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS SINCE THIS IS SNOW SEASON.  CDTC MINI-GRANT (CARTON) a. THE REMAINING HELMETS WERE DISTRIBUTED AT THE BIKEATOGA BIKE-GIVEAWAY ON DECEMBER 1ST. THE EVENT WAS A SUCCESS WITH CORNELL COOPERATIVE ALSO DISTRIBUTING HELMETS AND PROVIDING THE FITTINGS. OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO GET THE HELMETS TO THOSE IN NEED WILL CONTINUE TO BE EXPLORED.  OTHER BUSINESS a. NEXT MEETING: SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 2ND AT 5 PM IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.  ADJOURN