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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210224 Buenos Hill Auto Site Plan (4) CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2000 CITY COUNCIL ROOM 7:15 P.M. PRESENT: Kenneth Klotz, Mayor Thomas Curley, Commissioner, Public Safety Michael Lenz, Commissioner, Finance Thomas McTygue, Commissioner, Public Works Bernard Mirling, Commissioner,Accounts OTHERS PRESENT: Phillip Klein, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Representative Anthony Scirocco, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Representative STAFF PRESENT: Bob King, Deputy Commissioner, Public Safety William McTygue, Deputy Commissioner, Public Works Jeffrey Wait,City Attorney Public Hearing — Local Law#1 of 2000 West Avenue SAD Tony Izzo,Assistant City Attorney,said there had been some minor modifications to the proposed local law since the previous meeting. He said the modifications included changes to the boundaries, definitions and credit. He said,though,those modifications were not substantive. Matthew Jones, Chair West Avenue Redevelopment Committee, said this project has been in the making for seven years now. He said it was unusual in that every department in City Hall had been involved in the project. He thanked Council members and members of the Committee for all of their hard work over the last several years. He said the City will benefit enormously from this project. He said that like so many other projects,this is not perfect but it is a very good and it will have a great impact on the west side. He said the City will see a very good return on its investment in this project. Matthew Jones said it is a Council decision on sharing the cost, however,the committee had recommended that the new SAD pay for the majority of the utility cost. Commissioner Thomas Curley thanked Matthew Jones for his involvement in this project and for the many hours he has spent working out the details. He too agreed that this is a dynamic project and it is good for the City. Mayor Kenneth Klotz opened the public hearing. Rustom Rastinhad,West Avenue property owner,thanked Commissioner Thomas McTygue for working on his concern about the sidewalks in the front of his property. He then submitted a petition from concerned citizens about the lilac trees on West Avenue and not losing them during construction. Paul Male, City Engineer, said that issue could be discussed during the preconstruction meeting. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Kenneth Klotz closed the public hearing. Public Hearing — Local Law#2 of 2000 —Tax Exemption Gene Corsale said the City, Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, Design Review Commission, and the West Side Neighborhood Association had been working on legislation which would assist in the improvement and preservation of structures in the City. He said this legislation is for alteration and/or rehabilitation only and Design Review Commission approval must be obtained. He said this law would provide for a 100 percent exemption of the cost of rehabilitation for years one through five and then it would decrease by 20 percent each year for years six through ten. He again said it would be only the cost of the improvement which would be exempt. He said this pertains to City taxes only and not the county or school. He said the exemption would not begin until the completion of the project and the application must be filed with the City Assessor by June 1 of each year. He said a property would not be allowed another type of exemption and all taxes must be current. Mayor Kenneth Klotz opened the public hearing. There being no one wishing to speak, Mayor Kenneth Klotz closed the public hearing. MAYOR'S OFFICE Kid's Guide to Saratoga Springs — Saratoga Independent School Students from the Saratoga Independent School explained to Council members that they had spent a year developing a"Kid's Guide to Saratoga Springs". They said this guide includes many venues for children throughout the City including restaurants and museums. They said they researched, developed, cut, pasted,and edited this guide. They then presented each Council member with a guide. Mayor Kenneth Klotz thanked the students for this presentation. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Approval of City Council meeting minutes of February 1, 2000 Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded for the approval of the February 1 City Council meeting minutes.Ayes all. Vote— Local Law#1 West Avenue SAD (00-043) Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded for the adoption of Local Law#1 of 2000, as proposed,to create the West Avenue Special Assessment District. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said this had been a lengthy process and he was glad to see it come to fruition. He thanked all interested parties for working so hard on this project and trimming the costs to a more reasonable level. Commissioner Thomas McTygue reminded Council members that at the February 7 workshop meeting, $654,800 had been trimmed from this proiect. • He said that savings is an estimate and final figures would be known after the project is bid on 3/9/00. He also informed Council members that there had been some negotiations with CDTA on funding some of this project. Joe O'Neill, Director Utilities Department,said late yesterday he had received a fax from CDTA in which they had agreed to DPW's recommendation on financing of utility service to the train station. He said at no cost to the City, utilities will be carried down Station Lane. He said the estimated cost of these improvements is $150,000. He said the City would maintain these utilities upon completion. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said this was a good project for the City. Ayes all. Extension of Bid — Meters Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works,Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to extend the bid for meters with Everett J. Prescott, Inc.,for the year 2000 under the same terms and conditions. Ayes all. Extension of Bid — Red Diamond Baseball Clay Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works,Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to extend the bid for Red Diamond Baseball Clay with Hadeka Stone Corporation for the year 2000 as quoted ($30/ton FOB and $38/ton delivered). Ayes all. Award of Bid —Water&Sewer Pipe Fittings Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works,Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to award the bid for water and sewer pipe fittings, hydrants and valves to Vellano Brothers of Latham for various prices (only bidder). Ayes all. Award of Bid — Pre-cast Manholes, Catch Basins, Drywells and Frames and Covers Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works,Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to award the bid for precast manholes, catch basins, drywells and frames and covers to Grimm Building Materials of Green Island for various prices (low bidder). If Grimm is not able to furnish, DPW reserves the right to go to the second lowest bidder,The Fort Miller Company. Ayes all. Waive of Bid — City Center Electrical Energy Purchase Upon the recommendation of the City Center Authority,Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to ratify the previous approval by memo for the waive the bid for electrical energy purchase from NYSEG Solutions for the year 2000. Ayes all. Fine Arts Appraisal Commissioner Bernard Mirling reported that at the last meeting he had informed Council members that John Forbes would prepare an appraisal report on various fine arts pieces owned by the City. He said since he made that announcement,James Kettlewell, has offered to do this appraisal at no cost to the City. He said upon completion of this appraisal, he would report back to the Council. Award of Bid — Power Sweeper Upon the recommendation of the Department of Public Works,Commissioner Bernard Mirling moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to award the bid for the power sweeper to Tennant Company in the amount of$38,543.36 (lowest bidder meeting specifications). Commissioner Michael Lenz asked if these funds were within the DPW budget. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said yes. Ayes all. FINANCE DEPARTMENT Payroll Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the following payrolls: February 4, 2000 — $262,647.81 and February 11, 2000 — $266,803.53. Ayes all. Warrants Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded for the approval and payment of the 6DEC99 warrant #2 through #11 as follows: General Fund $33,342.93 City Center Authority - 0 - Water Fund 57,121.38 Sewer Fund 2,225.07 Capital Projects Fund 18,457.07 Special Assessment District - 0 - Trust Fund - 0 - Debt Service - 0 - Community Development - 0 - TOTAL$111,146.45 and the 2FEB20 warrant #2 through #28 as follows: General Fund $305,523.91 City Center Authority 9,811.45 Water Fund 16,771.91 Sewer Fund 10,530.45 Capital Projects Fund - 0 - Special Assessment District 1,275.00 Trust Fund - 0 - Debt Service 17,711.07 Community Development 14,398.60 TOTAL$376,022.39 and the MC990209 warrant #2 as follows: General Fund $ 3,538.08 City Center Authority - 0 - Water Fund 15,141.18 Sewer Fund 43.48 Capital Projects Fund - 0 - Special Assessment District - 0 - Trust Fund - 0 - Debt Service - 0 - Community Development - 0 - TOTAL$ 18,722.74 and the MC200209 warrant #2-#3 as follows: General Fund $ 12,509.98 City Center Authority - 0 - Water Fund - 0 - Sewer Fund 176.86 Capital Projects Fund - 0 - Special Assessment District - 0 - Trust Fund - 0 - Debt Service - 0 - Community Development - 0 - TOTAL$ 12,686.84 Ayes all. Budget Amendments Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the budget amendments as presented (Attachment A). Ayes all. Waive of Bid — Systems Integrity Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to waive the bid to Systems Integrity in an amount not to exceed $4,185.30 and to authorize the Mayor to sign the contract. He said this contract was for the installation and configuration of a fire wall in connection with the Police Department computer system. He said this was part of the $10,000 which was discussed at the last meeting. This motion was contingent upon the Purchasing Department reviewing this purchase. Ayes all. Authorization for Mayor to sign CDPHP contract (00-044) Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the contract with CDPHP. He said the only change to the contract from last year to this year was the rate. Ayes all. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS Discussion -- Budget —West Avenue Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked if the BAN approved on November 29, 1999,for the West Avenue project should be amended because of the recent estimated reduction in cost for the project. Paul Male, City Engineer, said the amount will go down, but not initially. Commissioner Thomas McTygue reminded Council members that because of the reduction in these numbers,the capital budget numbers would be effected. Paul Male said it was his understanding that the City was still required to send DOT the higher dollar amount, because it would take some time for DOT to review the new numbers and make the reduction in their books. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he was concerned about sending the higher amount to DOT. Commissioner Michael Lenz said the City needed to look into whether the higher dollar amount needed to be sent. He said,though,that the City would be reimbursed. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked what was the next step. Paul Male said the bid would be opened on March 9 and the City would then have 45 days to forward the required amount to DOT. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if the new lower numbers would"catch up"before the City was required to send the money to DOT. Paul Male said he was optimistic that would happen. Commissioner Thomas Curley pointed out that the best numbers available were used during the workshop discussions. Commissioner Michael Lenz said there was still time for the City to determine the final amount to be bonded. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if short term notes would be used. Commissioner Michael Lenz said yes. Discussion — Long Term Capital Budget Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the award of bid for the front end loader which was recently approved by the Council was approved during the 2000 budget negotiations with a line item of$15,000 to be placed in the contingency fund and to be used for an emergency. He said because of the discussions at the last Council meeting on funding this purchase, he reviewed his 1999 budget and found a surplus of$112,097. Therefore, he said he would use those funds to purchase this front end loader. Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded that the$112,097 surplus from the DPW 1999 budget be used to pay for the front end loader. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the Council had placed itself in this position by awarding this bid without knowing the funding mechanism and this was a good solution. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he would rather pay cash for this item than bond it anyway. Commissioner Michael Lenz clarified that Commissioner Thomas McTygue was correct in that there were unexpended funds in the 1999 DPW budget. However, he said that those funds were moved to the 2000 surplus. He said there were two solutions to this matter: bonding or approving Commissioner Thomas McTygue's motion. He asked Commissioner Thomas McTygue if it was absolutely imperative to purchase this item this year. Commissioner Thomas McTygue pointed out that the front end loader had already been approved and purchased. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he had been asking Finance to develop a funding mechanism on capital projects for quite some time now. Commissioner Michael Lenz agreed that he had discussed this issue with Commissioner Thomas McTygue, but also reminded Council members that the capital budget falls under the Mayor's budget and not his. He said the City needs a long range capital plan. Commissioner Michael Lenz said DPW had purchased four types of this kind of equipment over the last year. Commissioner Thomas McTygue disagreed. Commissioner Michael Lenz said purchases were made in February,April and September 1999 and now this one in January 2000. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked for justification why four were needed. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said he purchased only three of this type of item over the last year. He said this purchase would replace a 15-year-old piece of equipment. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said DPW has more than 150 pieces of equipment which need to be updated and maintained. He said it is becoming increasingly more difficult for DPW to maintain these very old pieces. He again said that Finance should come up with a plan for capital purchases. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he would forward any requests by DPW for capital purchases to the Mayor's Office and he would be more than willing to work with the Mayor's Office on such purchases but it is the responsibility of the Mayor's office to develop a capital plan. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said there would always be a need for equipment. He said the City has continually put off projects/equipment that he has requested. Commissioner Michael Lenz disagreed. Commissioner Michael Lenz pointed out that much of the City's indebtedness is related to projects brought forth by DPW. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there needs to be some discussions on whether some of these types of purchases should be placed in the capital budget or under the operating budget. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said there is a motion on the table which he would like Council members to vote on. Commissioner Thomas Curley asked if the proposed motion was within the Council's right. Commissioner Michael Lenz said the City cannot use 1999 funds. He explained that any surplus from the DPW budget would have been placed in the 2000 budget. He said the City would not be encumbering 1999 money if this motion was approved. He said that the money would simply be taken from the surplus. Ayes: four; Nays: one(Commissioner Michael Lenz). Motion carried. Discussion — Equipment Replacement Commissioner Thomas McTygue distributed a list of capital equipment and projects that he felt would be necessary in the near future(Attachment B) and then reviewed that list with Council members. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he was uncomfortable that there was no contingency for emergency needs and was further concerned about getting through this year. He reminded Council members that he would like capital budget expenditures requests as soon as possible. Public Hearing —Adoption of Water&Sewer Rates It was agreed to set a public hearing on the adoption of water and sewer rates for March 7 at 7:25 p.m. Discussion —West Avenue Project Previously discussed. Discussion — Saratoga Lake Commissioner Thomas McTygue said there had been some concerns expressed recently on the Saratoga Lake Improvement District's request for state funds for the use of herbicides in Saratoga Lake to cut down on weeds in the lake. He reminded Council members that the City is proposing to use Saratoga Lake for its long term water source and he wondered how these herbicides would affect the lake. Bob MacMillin, Saratoga Lake Improvement District member, said they had requested funding from Senator Bruno's office to use herbicides in the lake. He apologized on behalf of the Saratoga Lake Improvement District for not contacting the City on this matter, but also pointed out that the City had made no effort,to the best of his knowledge,to talk to them about their plans. He said since the lake falls under DEC's purview, it might be appropriate for the City to discuss this concern with DEC and the surrounding towns. He said,though,they are planning to use the herbicide Sonar. He said this herbicide has been used in surrounding water supplies and it has been declared safe for drinking water and it would be closely monitored. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked that the Saratoga Lake Improvement District Board contact DPW to discuss this matter. He said they would simply like some information that can be forwarded to the City's engineers for their review. Bob MacMillin agreed to that request. MAYOR'S OFFICE City Agreement with Merlin Development — Bronze Sculpture(00-045) Tony Izzo,Assistant City Attorney,said there had been a request by Merlin Development to purchase a bronze sculpture of a horse and jockey and place that sculpture in front of 260 Broadway, subject to such direction and restrictions that the City might impose. He said Merlin Development would indemnify the City. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said there has been ongoing discussions on liability and snow removal. He asked Tony Izzo if everything the City had requested of Merlin Development had been included in this agreement. Tony Izzo said yes. Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Mayor Kenneth Klotz seconded to approve the agreement with Merlin Development as presented. Ayes all. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Capital Budget Request Commissioner Thomas Curley said it was his intention to send a list of proposed capital budget requests to the Mayor by the end of February. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he was working with Senator Schumer's Office on available grants and asked that those requests be forwarded to him as soon as possible. Commissioner Thomas Curley agreed. Authorization for Mayor to sign COPS MORE Grant (00-046) Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the COPS MORE Grant. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if there was any match necessary. Commissioner Thomas Curley said the match was included in his budget. Ayes all. Authorization for Mayor to sign COPS School Grant (00-047) Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign the COPS School Grant. He said this would allow for the placement of a police office within the Saratoga Springs School System. He said the Saratoga Springs School Board of Education had recently approved this proposal. He also noted that the school district would pay for any required match. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would support this motion, however, had some concerns about Dlacina a police officer within the school. Assistant Chief James Cornick said the Board of Education approved this proposal at their January 27 meeting. He said the superintendent of the schools also supported this proposal. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked if there had been any parent involvement in the process of approving this grant. Assistant Chief James Cornick said parents had spoken at several Board of Education meetings on this matter. He informed Council members that there would be a budget impact in the fourth year of this grant. Ayes all. Waive of Bid — Police Security System Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Michael Lenz seconded to waive the bid for Legere Restoration of Schenectady in an amount not to exceed $7,500 to restore the security system in the police department and enhance the booking area. He said it was his understanding that funding of this was included in the capital budget for 2000 in the amount of$25,000. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said this was the same issue as his front end loader. Ayes all. Traffic Signal Grant &Pedestrian Improvement Grant (00-048) Commissioner Thomas Curley said there have been discussions recently on intersection improvements. He said his department was concerned that the maintenance of these improvements would fall onto DPS and they have had limited input in these improvements. Paul Male,City Engineer, said that Mark Benequista,Traffic Department, had been included in the initial discussions and he would continue to include him. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he would like the continued inclusion of Mark Benequista in discussions on these improvements. Discussion — Getty Gas Station — Broadway/Ballston Avenue intersection Commissioner Thomas Curley distributed to Council members a sketch of possible intersection improvements which could be made at this intersection if the City was to acquire this parcel. He said since the KFC and the gas station were available for purchase at the same time, it was a good opportunity for the City. He said the KFC would not be as beneficial to the City as the gas station parcel. He said if the City was to acquire this parcel it would allow for a sweeping lane change at this intersection. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he appreciated this sketch and proposal. He said he understood there was some contamination concerns at this location. Commissioner Thomas Curley said there were some clean up issues at this location, however,the owners were responsible for that clean up. Commissioner Thomas Curley requested that the City Attorney research what the City could do to acquire this parcel. He said the City should be prepared to move ahead if this parcel truly becomes available to the City. He asked that Jeffrey Wait, City Attorney, report back to the Council on his findings. Mayor Kenneth Klotz agreed. Digital Camera System Commissioner Thomas Curley reported that the Police Department had recently acquired a digital camera system which had been integrated into their software. He said it now allows for pictures to be taken and integrated into the software within a matter of seconds. He said this equipment was purchased with grant money for approximately$14,000 at no cost to the City. He said this is just one of the continued improvements being made in the police department. State Perinatal Data System Commissioner Thomas Curley said they have been discussing with the state placing limited birth information on the Internet. He said they will be purchasing equipment to allow for this to move forward. He said using the Internet will decrease the time frame for obtaining birth certificates. He said implementation of this process should be in about three months. Truck Enforcement Presentation Captain Bob Flanagan reported that commercial vehicle inspections involves trucks over 18,000 pounds. He said the City has two officers, both federally certified as inspectors,to perform inspections one day per week. He said the problem occurs in finding a location to do these inspections. He said when inspecting a vehicle, it may be placed out of service which means it cannot be moved until is comes back into compliance. Therefore,they need a large enough area to hold anywhere from one to five trucks. He said they use the SPAC parking lots on Route 50 and the old skating rink parking lot on Excelsior Avenue to hold these inspections. He said they also occasionally use the Weibel Avenue skating rink parking lot. He said these inspections are held one day per week usually from 8:00 a.m. to about 2:00 p.m. Captain Bob Flanagan said because they have only two individuals certified to do these inspections,the department is somewhat limited. He said both of the individuals are accident reconstructions as well as having other duties besides the truck enforcement program. He said the department averages 20,000 service calls each year and last year there were 1,265 calls for service in connection with vehicular accidents. He pointed out that because of the inspections, the compliance rate with trucks has been rising. He said trucks are becoming safer. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked what happens to a truck when it is found to be out of compliance. Captain Flanagan said if the truck is out of compliance it is placed out of service and it must stay at the inspection site until it is either repaired to towed to a repair facility. He said the City would assume a liability if they instructed the truck to move to another location while being out of compliance. Investigator Crandall said in the mid 1980s the traffic safety division was started. He said this division has two officers and commercial vehicle inspection is only a small part of their overall responsibilities. He then reviewed the training and qualifications to become a certified inspector. He said when inspecting a truck it could take anywhere 20 minutes to 2 hours for a full inspection. Investigator Crandall said one of the biggest obstacles of the commercial vehicle inspection program is a place to hold these inspections on the west side. He said in his estimation and overweight truck is the biggest area of concern. He said the City has three truck scales. He said in 1998, 345 trucks were inspected and 304 tickets were issued. He said in 1999 more than 500 tickets were issued. He reminded Council members that there are only two inspectors in this division. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he talked to Inspector Crandall recently and had been informed that approximately 28 percent of commercial vehicles have some type of problem. Inspector Crandall agreed. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked how many commercial vehicles were inspected during 1999. Inspector Crandall said 360. He said they have had full cooperation with DOT and DOT has placed one of their inspectors at every City held inspection. Investigator Crandall said in November they held a joint inspection with the state police, park police, DOT and the City. He said during that inspection 62 trucks were inspected with 115 tickets issued. He said cooperation among the various commercial enforcement entities will continue during 2000. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said more days like the November day needed to be held. Investigator Crandall agreed. He further noted that compliance seems to rise when frequent inspections are held. Commissioner Thomas Curley said for the most part,the trucking industry is safe. He said the City has an effective enforcement program with two very good inspectors. However, he said with only two inspectors there is only so much that can be done. Commissioner Thomas Curley said the City and more specifically the police department does a good job with commercial vehicle inspections. Funding Request for Truck Enforcement Commissioner Thomas Curley said he planned to make a request for funding through the SSTAR program which would allow the City to train additional officers in commercial vehicle inspections. He said he would like to see any funds gained by the City, be set aside in a separate fund to be used for commercial vehicle inspection. He also said in order for the police to do inspections on the west side,the City needs to consider purchasing a piece of property that can be used for those inspections. He said if the City owned a parcel, it could be dedicated for use as a truck inspection station. Mayor Kenneth Klotz agreed that the funds should be set aside for commercial vehicle inspections. He said he was concerned though,that the City is actually inspecting a small amount of trucks and many of those are out of compliance. He said there are strong feelings throughout this community that the City needs to be more active in this area. Commissioner Thomas Curley said there are many components to a solution on commercial traffic in the City. He said the City will make a major effort in this area. Commissioner Bernard Mirling said he would support that effort. Police and Fire Contracts/Deputy Commissioners, City Attorney, Executive Assistant, etc. (00-049) Commissioner Thomas Curley moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the police and fire contracts as presented. Commissioner Thomas McTygue moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to amend the motion to include the Deputy Commissioners, City Attorney,Assistant City Attorney and the Executive Assistant to the Mayor to allow them a three percent increase in salary. Commissioner Michael Lenz said he would support this amendment, but this increase was not budgeted and asked if departments could absorb this increase within their own budget. Commissioner Michael Lenz said there might be enough funds in the contingency to cover this increase, but he was not sure and he wanted to the departments to cover this expense if there was not enough in the contingency. It was agreed that Council members would support the amended motion with the final determination on where the funding for these increases would come from. Commissioner Thomas McTygue clarified that this motion was for 2000 and 2001. Commissioner Thomas McTygue reminded Council members that when developing next year's budget,the three percent increase should be included. Council members agreed. Ayes all on amended motion. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked if the necessary funds for the police and fire contracts were included in the contingency. Commissioner Michael Lenz said yes. Commissioner Thomas McTygue asked for clarification on the sick and personal days. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the total amount would not be increased. He said they will receive 12 sick days and 6 personal days. He said there was simply a shift of one day between the sick and personal days. Ayes all. MAYOR'S OFFICE Revolving Loan Application Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approve the revolving loan application from Dr. Barnes. Brad Birge, Community Development Director, said an application had been made by a local veterinarian, Dr. Barnes,to utilize the revolving loan fund for the establishment of a equine surgical facility. He said this fund may be utilized by projects that employ low and moderate income individuals. He said the application is for$66,000 at 6 percent interest over 20 years. He said at least seven low/moderate income jobs would be created. Ayes all. SPOT Grant Geoff Bornemann said local communities have an opportunity to apply to CDTA for small grants for bicycle and pedestrian spot improvements. He said the application deadline is March 3 and a local match of 20 percent is required. He said the City has been working with CDTA on the possibility of installing sidewalks on Sation Lake to serve the new train station. He said the estimated cost to construct the sidewalks,with appropriate drainage, curbs and lighting is $106,000 and CDTA has proposed that the City contribute$10,600 as its local match. He said he was still trying to identify funds to cover this cost, however, said there could be an opportunity for it to be matched through in-kind services from DPW. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would work with Commissioner Thomas McTygue on involving his department and would also work with Commissioner Michael Lenz on a funding mechanism. Proclamation — Principessa Elena (00-050) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to approved the proclamation on congratulating the Principessa Elena on its 100 anniversary. Ayes all. Appointments (00-051) Mayor Kenneth Klotz announced the following appointments: Urban Cultural Park Sheila Goss Community Development Citizen Advisory Committee Jeffrey Pfeil Christina Curley Remigia Foy Joy King Lillian Miles Gordon Boyd Amy Durland Linda Harvey-Opiteck Hank Kuczuynski Jennifer Mirling Bob Cleary Richard Ferguson David Keehn Pamela Polacsek Al Retzlaff Community Renewal Amy Hanigan Kathy Sephas Charles Wait Frank Laskey Rick Higgins Brook Hobson Gene Corsale Real Estate Committee Jeff Wait Census Committee Kenneth Klotz Dennis Brunelle Nancy Lamb Sister Charla Commins Priscilla Corwin Don Hastings Florence Andresen Hank Kuczynski Margorie Van Meter Chris Whann Melanie Woullard Recreation Committee Bob Spratt City Center Authority Jerry Wells Bill Dake Kids Guide to Saratoga Springs — Saratoga Independent School Previously discussed. Truck Traffic(00-052) Mayor Kenneth Klotz said that although the City has a good staff when it comes to commercial vehicle inspections, it was disturbing to hear the limitations of that staff. He said there are estimates of 1,600 trucks per day driving through the City with a 28 percent noncompliance rate. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded for the Council to go on record as supporting the investigation of ways in which the laws of unsafe and illegal trucks can be more vigorously enforced. Ayes all. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he appreciated the support of the Council on commercial vehicle enforcement. He asked for a commitment from Mayor Kenneth Klotz that the funds generated by commercial vehicle enforcement be dedicated to truck enforcement. Mayor Kenneth Klotz agreed. Commissioner Thomas Curley said he wanted to dedicate more time and individuals to truck enforcement. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said it was disturbing that there are only two individuals to do this enforcement and they are both nearing retirement with no one in the pipeline to replace them. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded that the City alter the original contract with Edwards &Kelcie to allow them to do a $4,500 focus group study to try to identify more precisely movement of trucks within the region. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the SSTAR committee does not want more studies that go on endlessly, however,they felt this last study could be an important part of this process. Ayes all. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded that the City designate an interim solution and petition DOT to get some of the trucks off of Lake Avenue by using Route 50 to Louden Road and over Weibel Avenue and then out Route 29 east as opposed to the trucks using Lake Avenue and downtown streets. Ayes all. Merlin Development — Bronze Sculpture Previously discussed. Smart City Progress Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he recently met with Ken Green who had been meeting with Joe Dalton, Linda Toohey and Elliot Masie on advancing the City's interest in and capacity to handle high tech industry by establishing fiber optic cable in this area. He said he would like to have Elliot Maise give a report to the Council at the March 7 meeting. Supplemental Municipal Aid Request (00-053) Mayor Kenneth Klotz distributed a handout which shows which City's received supplemental municipal aid. He said Saratoga Springs is one of a dozen that does not get any supplemental aid. He said it is virtually a given if it is asked for,therefore, he has requested Assemblyman D'Andrea and Senator Bruno to provide the City with their support of this request. He said he has asked for$500,000. Saratoga County Arts Council Agreement (00-054) Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the City signed a ten-year contract with SCAC which included $30,000 annually for rent and $23,500 for an escrow account for capital repairs. He said SCAC has now requested that the capital improvements they have already made go towards that escrow account. Mayor Kenneth Klotz distributed financial information on SCAC to Council members. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said SCAC is asking to modify the agreement to eliminate the escrow account requirement and to allow them to pay$3,700 in years 2003, 2004 and 2005 for a total of$11,100. He said it appears the only capital expenses over the next few years is a heating system and a roof. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there is approximately$35,000 left in the escrow account and SCAC will be getting some grant money to cover some of the additional capital expenses. He said they received a grant for the elevator which required a 50 percent match. He said they are currently having fund raising efforts to raise that 50 percent. He said this would not have an effect on the City's budget because it is just an escrow account. Commissioner Michael Lenz said if Commissioner Thomas McTygue is comfortable with this agreement, he would support it. Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded that the City modity the contract with SLAL to agree with their request. Ayes all. Eckhardt Building Permit Mayor Kenneth Klotz said there had been a request made by an individual to build a structure on property adjacent to Loughberry Lake. He said the City Council has been opposed to building within the 300 foot buffer zone and this proposed structure is within the 300 feet. He said the City established this area as a"resource management"area which states that any building within the 200 feet of the shoreline of Loughberry Lake is prohibited. Therefore,the current plan is not allowed under current zoning laws. He said the Council may want to amend that to bring it in line with the 300 foot buffer. Robert Eckhardt said current zoning says the setback is 65 feet. He asked where the 300 foot number came from. He asked to see it in writing. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would be willing to show Robert Eckhardt the resource management district language which shows that building is prohibited within 200 feet. Robert Eckhardt asked to see the 300 feet. Robert Eckhardt said the City accused him of cutting trees on City property which was not true. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said the City has adopted rules and regulations which have been forwarded to the state health department which includes the 300 feet buffer. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said it is not law, but rather rules and regulations that have been adopted and forwarded to DOH. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said this property is located within a zoning district called resource management district and building within 200 feet of the lake is not permitted. He said that is the current law. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said he would be willing to provide a copy of this to Mr. Eckhardt. Commissioner Thomas McTygue said Robert Eckhardt does not own down to the lake. Robert Eckhardt disagreed. Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked Robert Eckhardt to call him in the morning to make an appointment. Robert Eckhardt clarified that 200 feet was the minimum. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said under current zoning law, he cannot build within 200 feet of the lake. Have a Heart for Madison Campaign Mayor Kenneth Klotz said Missy Corrigan, Spa Catholic 9th grader, has raised more than $10,000 for this child. He said this is a wonderful, positive story which deserves the Council awareness and support. Recreation Department contract with St. Clement's (00-055) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the contract with St. Clement's School in connection with the Recreation Department. Ayes all. Recreation Department Contract with Soccer Coordinator(00-056) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve the contract with the soccer coordinator Arvid Dahlstrom. Ayes all. Easement Agreement (00-057) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to authorize the Mayor to sign all necessary documents in connection with the easement agreement with Frank C. Seaman. Tony Izzo,Assistant City Attorney,said as the result of a Planning Board meeting,the applicant was asked to transfer a 2 1/2 foot wide strip of land to the City to widen an existing roadway and to also give the City an easement for the purpose of access for City owned vehicles and snow storage. Ayes all. Vote— Local Law#2 Tax Exemption (00-058) Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Bernard Mirling seconded to approve Local Law#2 as presented. Ayes all. West Avenue Resolutions (00-059) Mayor Kenneth Klotz asked what was the next step now that the SAD had been set up. Paul Male, City Engineer, said the proposed two resolutions are similar to the South Broadway projects. He said these are lengthy documents: one for the five percent share at $833,000 and the second is for the betterments $1.4 million. He said the difference between that and the$1.675 million is the money that the City has already paid. He said we have paid approximately$210,000 into that fund. He said the state would require the City to approve and sign these resolutions. Mayor Kenneth Klotz clarified that the City would pay for 5 percent of the road resurfacing, however,the City is required to place 20 percent up front. Paul Male said yes. He said the City would get back approximately$620,000. Paul Male said some of the$1.4 million would be reduced based on the recent proposed changes. He said the City can approve these resolutions or wait. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said the City has 45 days after March 9 to approve these resolutions. It was agreed to not vote on these resolutions tonight. Waive of Bid — Canfield Casino Stairs Mayor Kenneth Klotz moved and Commissioner Thomas McTygue seconded to waive the bid for work on the Casino stairs to Ryan Briggs in the amount of$1,4876.60. Commissioner Michael Lenz asked where this money would come from to pay this bill. Paul Male said he was not sure. Mayor Kenneth Klotz said their motion could be made contingent upon the clearing up of where the money would come from. Council members agreed to that request. Ayes all. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Michael Lenz moved and Commissioner Thomas Curley seconded to adjourn the meeting at 10:05 p.m. Ayes all. There being no further business, Mayor Kenneth Klotz adjourned the meeting at 10:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Moran Clerk Approved: