Schuylerville Awarded $4.5 Million to Revitalize Downtown; Water System Infrastructure Still A Need – Meeting Jan. 22
SCHUYLERVILLE — The village of Schuylerville has been awarded $4.5 million to revitalize its downtown, New York Gov., Kathy Hochul announced during a recent gathering in Lake George.
“When people look back and say: What was the turning point? You’re going to remember this day,” said Hochul, using a phrase often referenced by historians regarding the 1777 battles at Saratoga and the surrender of the British army in Schuylerville as the “turning point” of the American Revolution.
“This is the day it all begins,” Hochul said. “We have the 250th anniversary of the battle(s) of Saratoga coming up soon. Let’s celebrate 2027. Our goal is to greet the world with a really transformed village in time for that, so that’s the timetable we’re looking at.”
The $4.5 million awarded Schuylerville in the NY Forward grant measures about three times the village’s annual general fund budget and will be used to partially aid a handful of large projects. Among them are improvements to building facades, fixing broken culverts to revitalize the canal way, assisting the eventual development of a proposed multi-use building at a key location on Broad Street that currently sites vacant property, and helping fund a multi-year, multi-million-dollar project at Fort Hardy Park.
Schuylerville, which calls itself “America’s Most Historic Village” is home to about 1,400 residents. In 2022, its Village Board of Trustees appointed a 7-member committee for the NY Forward Task Force to lead the public participation and grant-writing process, and subsequently submitted a letter of intent to apply for the $4.5 million NY Forward Grant.
Timewise, most, if not all the projects, are anticipated to first “break ground” in 2025, Schuylerville Mayor Dan Carpenter said during the monthly village board meeting Jan. 8.
The Fort Hardy Park project specifically, will likely result in a potential tax increase in order to see the $20 million, 20-year project through to its completion - a tax burden shouldered by households in the village, which currently number about 700.
Any such increase related to the park, however, would be “miniscule,” compared to the more immediate circumstances regarding the infrastructure of the local water system as it pertains to Schuylerville and the neighboring village of Victory, the mayor cautioned.
A handful of years ago, the Schuylerville-Victory Board of Water Management (SVBOWM) retained C.T. Male Associates to prepare a Water System Master Plan. That 51-page report was released In May 2020 and notes that “the majority of the water mains within the Villages of Schuylerville and Victory are 100 to 120 years old and are well past their useful life.” Included was a $7 million water project infrastructure upgrade, Mayor Carpenter said. Most of the funding for the upgrades has potentially been identified, Carpenter added, but the SVBOWM has yet to act on securing the funding. “This water upgrade is going to affect both villages… inaction is going to cost us.” Costs associated with the upgrades would be shared by the two villages.
“Our water rates are going to go up – and that’s nothing to do with the (downtown revitalization) project we’re talking about today,” Carpenter said. “When people are upset about taxes going up because we’re improving the village, because we’re bringing in new businesses and we’re doing an upgrade to the park – the amount is miniscule compared to what will happen with the water if they continue to do nothing.
“That’s going to be because for the past 30 years we’ve had an aging infrastructure and we’ve had our head in the sand. We have done nothing to update or fix it and have been doing emergency repairs for the past 30 years,” Carpenter said. “Sitting down with CT Male, we identified that had we applied last year – in early 2023 – almost 75% of the ($7 million) cost of that water upgrade should have been eligible to be covered by grants. But, I cannot promise you if the Water Board takes another year that it’s going to be covered 75%.”
The Schuylerville-Victory Board of Water Management holds meetings monthly. The next scheduled meeting will take place 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 22 at Victory Meeting Hall, 23 Pine St. in Victory Mills.
City Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi Announces Candidacy for State Senate Seat Held by Tedisco
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Minita Sanghvi has announced her candidacy for the 44th State Senate District in New York’s Capital Region.
Sanghvi, a Democrat, plans to challenge the seat currently held by Republican Jim Tedisco. The 44th Senate District includes Saratoga County, Niskayuna, and the city of Schenectady.
“I’m running for State Senate because we deserve better,” Sanghvi said, officially announcing her candidacy Jan. 8. “We need a leader who will put people ahead of partisan politics in Albany. I’m not a politician. I’m a parent, business educator, and fiscally responsible public servant. And I’ve built a record of listening to people and working with others to deliver results.”
Born to a conservative family of entrepreneurs and innovators in India, Sanghvi earned a degree in accounting and an MBA, and immigrated to the United States in 2001. She has taught business at Skidmore College for nearly 10 years, and in 2021 was first elected to serve as the Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner.
Sanghvi was re-elected city Finance Commissioner last November and on Jan. 1 began her second two-year term in the position. With that term slated to last through 2025 and State Senate Elections taking place in November 2024, it is currently unclear how and when her seat at the City Council will be affected.
There are approximately 226,000 active registered voters in the 44th State Senate District – about 176,000 in Saratoga County and 50,000 in Schenectady County, according to the state Board of Elections. Of those, just under 76,000 are registered Democrats and just over 71,000 registered Republicans, with the district-wide balance comprised of about 15,000 registered with other parties, and 64,000 “blanks” – those registered to vote but unaffiliated with any party.
State Senators serve two-year terms. In November 2022, James Tedisco (R, C) defeated Michelle Ostrelich (D, WF).
Sanghvi listed securing infrastructure dollars for bridges and roads, getting more state aid to counties and cities, helping to revitalize downtowns, bringing green and high-tech jobs to communities, and establishing “an innovation corridor” that connects Schenectady and Saratoga among her priorities.
If elected, Sanghvi will be the first openly gay and first woman of color to represent New York’s 44th State Senate District, and the first openly gay woman in the New York Senate.
“I believe in protecting rights and freedoms for all residents, no matter where they live or what political party they belong to,” Sanghvi said in a statement. “I’ll protect women’s access to health care, defend LGBTQ rights, and ensure everyone has an equal shot at the same American Dream this country has given to me.”
Saratoga County Board of Supervisors: Phil Barrett New Chairman, Matt Veitch New Vice-Chair in 2024
BALLSTON SPA — Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett was selected Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matt Veitch as vice-chair, during the Board’s annual Organizational Meeting, held at the county complex on Jan. 3. Each will serve in their respective positions during the 2024 calendar year.
The county Board oversees a $410 million budget and is comprised of 23 supervisors. Each of Saratoga County’s 21 municipalities have at least one elected supervisor; Saratoga Springs, and Clifton Park – the county’s most populous municipalities – each have two representatives.
On Jan. 2, members of the county’s 12 Standing Committees were also announced. Each Standing Committee has 5 to 7 members. It is where discussion relative to that committee’s focus takes place, with items later forwarded to the full Supervisor Board for potential approval. The Definition and Scope of each of the 12 Standing Committees may be viewed on pages 13-18 of the county Board of Supervisors Jan. 3, 2024 meeting agenda, via saratogacountyny.gov.
Newly elected Saratoga Springs Supervisor Michele Madigan was appointed to Public Works, Economic Development, and Trails & Open Space committees.
In addition to his role as vice-chair, Matt Veitch was appointed to the Buildings & Grounds, Human Resources & Insurance, and Trails & Open Space committees.
Pauline Oliveros, Jackie Alper, Nick Brignola Among Eddies HOF To Be Inducted at UPH in March
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The sixth class of inductees in the regional Eddies Music Hall of Fame have been announced and includes artists from the fields of classical, folk, jazz and electronic music, as well as a pioneering hip-hop songwriter and two individuals who chronicled the local music scene as journalists.
The late Jackie Alper, the late Nick Brignola, George Guarino, David Alan Miller, the late Pauline Oliveros, Margie Rosenkranz, Billy Waring and Don Wilcock will be inducted into the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame on Monday, March 25 at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs.
The ceremony is open to the public and includes musical performances, a social hour, videos on the musical career of each inductee and acceptance speeches.
The class brings the total number of inductees to 40 since 2019. An aluminum engraved plaque honoring each recipient is permanently hung at UPH.
The 2024 slate was chosen by an advisory council made up of professionals in the local music field.
Tickets for the March 25 event are on sale now through the Box Office at Proctors in-person, via phone at 518-346-6204 Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., or online by visiting atuph.org.
About the inductees:
Jackie Alper sang with the Almanac Singers - which included Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger – and later helped found the influential mid-20th century group The Weavers, introducing a 16-year-old Ronnie Gilbert to Pete Seeger, Lee Hayes and Freddie Hellerman. Alper also turned her husband Joe Alper’s 30,000 music photographs into one of the folk revival’s most meticulously documented archives. Together, they played a key role in supporting Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs in its early years, often housing musicians, including Bob Dylan, at their Schenectady home. She passed away in 2007.
Troy native Nick Brignola, a baritone sax player and a band leader, shared the stage with jazz greats including Woody Herman and Chet Baker, and recorded 20 albums of his own. Brignola taught jazz theory and history at several local colleges and helped start a jazz education program at the College of Saint Rose. He passed away in 2002.
George Guarino created Albany’s music television show, “Real George’s Backroom” (1981-91) and Buzz magazine (1985-95). He was a featured DJ at Albany’s infamous 288 Lark (1981-87) and QE2 (1987-90) clubs and was also a DJ at WRPI.
David Alan Miller has been music director and conductor of the Albany Symphony Orchestra since 1992 During his tenure, the ASO has released more than 30 albums; in 1994, Miller founded Dogs of Desire, an 18-member ensemble that has commissioned over 150 new works from emerging American composers.
Pauline Oliveros was an American composer, accordionist and central figure in the development of post-World War II experimental and electronic music. A Houston native who relocated to upstate New York in 1981, Oliveros developed a ground-breaking music theory called “Sonic Meditations” and founded the term Deep Listening, a practice of profound sonic awareness which came from her childhood fascination with sounds. Known for her works in composition, improvisation and electro-acoustics, she was Distinguished Professor of Music at RPI in Troy where she founded the Center for Deep Listening. She passed away in 2016. A documentary film project by Daniel Weintraub - “Deep Listening: The Story of Pauline Oliveros” – was previewed this year and includes the likes of avant-garde pioneer Laurie Anderson to Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore. A trailer may be viewed at: vimeo.com/783733294.
Margie Rosenkranz has been the executive artistic director of the Eighth Step Coffee House since 1987. Founded in 1967 in the basement of the historic First Presbyterian Church in Albany, the organization is renowned nationally for its presentation of top contemporary singer-songwriters, as well as social justice work.
An unsung hero of hip-hop, Harlem native William “Billy Bill” Waring began his musical career with longtime friends Kurtis Walker (aka Kurtis Blow) and producer Danny Harris. Waring got his first taste of hip-hop music at DJ Kool Herc parties and from 1980-84 he penned the classic songs “Hard Times,” “Basketball,” “You Gotta Believe” and “Games People Play,” and co-wrote much of the Fat Boys’ first album.
Don Wilcock, founder and president of the Northeast Blues Society, founded “Kite,” the area’s first arts weekly, in 1970. As a journalist, his columns have appeared in numerous area publications. Wilcock is contributing editor of The Blues Music Magazine, and he also co-produced the annual Fleet Blues Festival, a three-stage event featuring the world’s hottest blues stars.
More information about the Eddies Music Hall of Fame is available at theeddiesawards.com. The Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards and Hall of Fame, as well as UPH, are part of Proctors Collaborative.
Jonathan Santlofer Book Tour Stages Showcase at Northshire Jan. 17
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Where did the Van Gogh go? How did a painting that went missing more than a century ago end up in upstate N.Y.? Who should be allowed to keep an important piece of art by a world-famous artist after it is found?
You may learn answers to these questions by asking them directly of the artist whose just-published book poses these and other inquiries for the curious. On Jan. 17, author and artist Jonathan Santlofer appears at Northshire Bookstore Saratoga as part of his promotional book tour. Do take heed of the answers you may glean however, because as Santlofer points out in his author’s notes at the book’s conclusion: what you have just read is a novel that mixes fact and fiction.
Billed as a spellbinding thriller of masterpieces, masterminds and the mysterious underbelly of the art world, Santlofer re-introduces readers to Luke Perrone, hero of The Last Mona Lisa and a descendant of the man who stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911. Luke navigates the shadiest corners of the underground art world to track down Van Gogh’s notorious death-bed self-portrait. What he discovers is a consequential history that traces the journey of the painting back to World War II, when agents of the French Resistance protected it from destruction by the Nazis.
With “The Lost Van Go,” Santlofer offers an open invitation of the artists’ domain in verses selected with care: “Late morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, across my palette and over half-finished paintings leaning against the walls of my Bowery studio…”
The journey name-checks boxes of varying layers of cool: Secreted away in a wine crate with a false bottom and flanked by bottles of Bordeaux is a copy of Celine’s “Mort a Credit” - a novel us U.S.-ers realize as “Death On The Installment Plan” and know enough NOT to read til the end, because then – well, it’s curtains! There are visions of a diner in Queens near Astoria Park (“half-full, but noisy, customers crammed into booths, waitresses shouting orders, Lil Nas X on the jukebox”) Louboutins (“My one and only pair,” says Alex, “they’re going to cripple me but they look good,”) and artful journeys to European destinations.
“My brain was moving at about the same speed as my rented Opel Corsa on a three-lane highway heading out of Paris, commuter cars and trucks cutting across lanes without signaling, horns beeping and me trying to drive,” Santlofer writes.
A visit to the canal houses of Amsterdam meanwhile are besotted and blessed with all the pleasures and perils of a modern-day zipline crossing the globe. “He told me to sit tight and do nothing until he got back to me. Then he took off, leaving me on a street with semi-naked women in windows undulating and beckoning me, like I’d been dumped into ‘Dante’s Inferno’ by way of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’…”
There is admiration, of course, for the artistry of Van Gogh himself, which Santlofer scribes through the vision of his protagonist while perusing the artist’s work. “I moved from portrait to portrait, noting several had been painted in the same year, but all different, as if there was more than one Vincent, and I suppose there was, depending on his mood and mental state,” he says. “And for a moment I could see Vincent, thumb looped through the palette mixing colors. I could have stood there for hours.”
Jonathan Santlofer has taught at Columbia and The New School, been exhibited in more than 200 collections worldwide and serves on the board at Yaddo. “The Lost Van Gogh,” (352 pages, $34.99, published Jan. 2, 2024 by Sourcebooks Landmark) is his seventh novel. He will appear at Northshire Bookstore Saratoga, 424 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17. For more information, go to: northshire.com.
City Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi Announces Candidacy for State Senate Seat Held by Tedisco
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Minita Sanghvi has announced her candidacy for the 44th State Senate District in New York’s Capital Region.
Sanghvi, a Democrat, plans to challenge the seat currently held by Republican Jim Tedisco. The 44th Senate District includes Saratoga County, Niskayuna, and the city of Schenectady.
“I’m running for State Senate because we deserve better,” Sanghvi said, officially announcing her candidacy Jan. 8. “We need a leader who will put people ahead of partisan politics in Albany. I’m not a politician. I’m a parent, business educator, and fiscally responsible public servant. And I’ve built a record of listening to people and working with others to deliver results.”
Born to a conservative family of entrepreneurs and innovators in India, Sanghvi earned a degree in accounting and an MBA, and immigrated to the United States in 2001. She has taught business at Skidmore College for nearly 10 years, and in 2021 was first elected to serve as the Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner.
Sanghvi was re-elected city Finance Commissioner last November and on Jan. 1 began her second two-year term in the position. With that term slated to last through 2025 and State Senate Elections taking place in November 2024, it is currently unclear how and when her seat at the City Council will be affected.
There are approximately 226,000 active registered voters in the 44th State Senate District – about 176,000 in Saratoga County and 50,000 in Schenectady County, according to the state Board of Elections. Of those, just under 76,000 are registered Democrats and just over 71,000 registered Republicans, with the district-wide balance comprised of about 15,000 registered with other parties, and 64,000 “blanks” – those registered to vote but unaffiliated with any party.
State Senators serve two-year terms. In November 2022, James Tedisco (R, C) defeated Michelle Ostrelich (D, WF).
Sanghvi listed securing infrastructure dollars for bridges and roads, getting more state aid to counties and cities, helping to revitalize downtowns, bringing green and high-tech jobs to communities, and establishing “an innovation corridor” that connects Schenectady and Saratoga among her priorities.
If elected, Sanghvi will be the first openly gay and first woman of color to represent New York’s 44th State Senate District, and the first openly gay woman in the New York Senate.
“I believe in protecting rights and freedoms for all residents, no matter where they live or what political party they belong to,” Sanghvi said in a statement. “I’ll protect women’s access to health care, defend LGBTQ rights, and ensure everyone has an equal shot at the same American Dream this country has given to me.”
New Year, New Council, New Rules
SARATOGA SPRINGS — John Safford shuffled among the three-dozen or so public spectators attending the night’s gathering inside the Saratoga Music Hall, exchanging pleasantries and engaging in conversation.
Draped in a dark navy blazer and a white button-down shirt accented by a burgundy tie, Safford carried with him a bottle of Saratoga-label water and a rectangular leather organizer from which unfolded the night’s meeting agenda and a draft copy of new “Public Meeting Expectations and Rules” the council will, in some form, be looking to implement.
“Can we be seated please?” said Safford, as the clock ticked closer to the 7 p.m. start of his first meeting as the city’s new mayor. “Let’s get this thing going.”
Mayor Safford and Public Safety Commssioner Tim Coll represent the two new members of the five-person City Council. They are joined by council returnees Jason Golub (Commissioner of Public Works), Dillon Moran (Commissioner of Accounts) and Minita Sanghvi (Commissioner of Finance). The city’s long-standing Commission form of governing equally provides each of the five councilmembers one vote at the table.
Two city Supervisors do not vote at the council table, but instead represent the city with voting power at the county level as members of the Board of Supervisors. They are: returning Supervisor Matt Veitch, and new Supervisor Michele Madigan – the latter of whom had for a decade served previously as city Finance Commissioner.
The most immediate change of the first-and-third Tuesday of the month council meetings featured a return to a previous format; council meetings will now have a 7 p.m. start-time - one hour later than had been the case the past six months, and the relocation of the supervisors’ reports to the meeting’s end.
The Public Comment period which had allowed each speaker up to four minutes to address the council has been trimmed to three minutes, and a 30-minute limit overall set to allow members of the public to address the City Council.
“Public Comment has been a subject that was very much a part of this last election,” Mayor Safford said. “The other thing we’re going to be very interested in doing is making sure there are no comments… or response that you might give from the audience to what’s being said. And this is true as well at the council table.”
A clock will be displayed atop the council table indicating to speakers how much of their time remains, the mayor added. “We’re going to be quite strict about timing.”
A two-page draft titled “Public Meeting Expectations and Rules” was made available at the meeting in the Music Hall Tuesday night.
The draft calls for those wishing to speak during the Public Comment period to sign their name and address on a sheet prior to the start of the meeting - a process similar to the method used at county Board of Supervisors meetings.
The proposed Rules of Decorum and Order prohibit behaviors disruptive to the conduct of the meeting. Specifically, the draft reads: “disorderly, disruptive, disturbing, delaying, or boisterous conduct which may include, but is not limited to, handclapping, stomping of feet, whistling, making noise, use of profane language or obscene gestures, yelling or similar demonstrations.” Signs, placards, and the distribution of literature are also to be prohibited in the meeting room during a meeting.
Should the rules be violated, Safford will first request the rule violator to cease their conduct, with a verbal warning to follow should the violation continue.
“If the person does not cease the violation the presiding officer shall declare the person to be out of order at which time the Sergeant-at-Arms may take steps to remove the person(s) from the meeting room,” according to the draft copy of Public Meeting Expectations and Rules. “If applicable, such person may be subject to civil and/or criminal penalties that may apply to their conduct.”
A lengthy council discussion was had regarding the restriction of “handclapping” and general displays of emotion and what may be allowed, as any expression - celebrating the recognition of an achievement award, a response to a statement albeit popular or unpopular - may temporarily cause interruption of the rhythm of any meeting.
“There is a certain amount of flexibility that the chairman (the mayor) has as to what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable,” Safford said. Members of the council subsequently initiated discussion about how to best ensure that the rules for allowing any public expression are applied equally to all meeting attendees, whether they be popular or unpopular. There is more work to be done.
Initial discussions regarding the proposal took place at the council’s hour-long pre-agenda meeting earlier that day. Safford stressed that the pre-agenda meetings are where he would like much of the council’s debate over agenda items to take place. The pre-agenda meetings – typically held in the past on a Monday morning and lightly attended by the public, have preceded the much larger publicly attended Tuesday night regular meetings.
“If we’re going to have any controversy over any of these, I’d like to air them out here, before we have a problem tonight,” he said at the morning pre-agenda meeting on Jan. 2, later adding “this is what we want to do at this meeting: get all this stuff aired out so we don’t have this kind of conversation tonight.” Of the Tuesday night gatherings, Safford said, “this should be the most boring meeting of the month.”
The mayor said he hopes to have the new Public Meeting Expectations and Rules document fully prepared and ready for vote at the council’s next meeting, on Jan. 16.
Big Screen Returns to Wilton, Cinema Re-Opening Slated for February 2024
WILTON — Four years after hosting what was widely thought to be its final screening, Wilton Mall Cinemas is slated to re-open in February.
The theater will be operated by Scene One Entertainment, the company announced Jan. 2.
The Wilton Mall Cinemas will feature eight screens including one large-format auditorium. The large format auditorium has a 2,000 square foot screen and enhanced Dolby Digital surround sound. All auditoriums will feature luxury leather rocking chairs, wall-to-wall screens, and Dolby Digital surround sound, according to Scene One Entertainment.
The Wilton Mall venue will mark the second theater operating for Scene One Entertainment in upstate New York, the other being Movieland in Schenectady.
“The theater is in fantastic shape and the mall has maintained it beautifully since its pandemic closure,” Joe Masher, owner and CEO at Scene One Entertainment (formerly Bow Tie Management) said in a statement. “The developments happening around the mall are encouraging. The theater will feature fresh hot popcorn with real butter, and other treats such as chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, hot pretzels, and more.” A private party room will also be made available for birthday parties and other events.
“Scene One Cinemas fulfills one of the most-requested uses from guests and brings the former theater space in the Food Court back to life. It’s just one more element in our ongoing, thoughtful redevelopment that makes Wilton Mall a great place for people to live, work and play,” said Wilton Mall General Manager Mike Shaffer.
The Wilton Mall has seen some large-scale changes in recent years, and more changes may soon be underway. In 2020, Saratoga Hospital set up its medical offices in a repurposed vacant space previously occupied by Sears, and a project currently under discussion seeks to develop nearly 400 apartments alongside the existing mall.
The project, as proposed by the Macerich Corporation and Paramount Development, includes 382 new “luxury, market-rate rental residences,” including both apartments and townhomes, and will feature “premium resident amenities with a sophisticated design.”
The plan for that potential development continues to move through the town’s approval process, and developers are hoping to next stage a public appearance before the Wilton Town Board on Feb. 1.
The Wilton movie theater originally opened in October 2013 by Bow Tie Cinemas and closed during the early on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bow Tie Cinemas also opened on Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs in 2013. In April 2022 AMC announced it had struck a deal with Bow Tie to take over operations of the Saratoga Springs theater.
Downtown Tourism Parking Plan
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The city is hoping to institute a “tourism parking program” this spring that it says will ease parking access for visitors, increase the availability of resident parking and generate about $2.5 million in gross revenue.
The seasonal program would charge visitors $2 per hour for parking at the three city-owned parking garages and two surface lots from May 1 - to Sept. 30, DPW Business Manager Michael Veitch explained during a presentation to the City Council on Dec. 19.
The three affected garages and lots are located on Putnam, Walton and Woodlawn – where visitors would use pay stations, or pay attendants. Time-limited parking would be instituted on some downtown streets, although Broadway will pretty much remain as it currently is.
On-street permits would provide free parking for residents and downtown business employees. How those permits would specifically be secured has yet to be decided.
“What’s being proposed is paid tourist parking in the garages and surface lots and limiting the availability of free parking on city streets for visitors. This program prioritizes however, the continuance of free parking for residents and employees,” said DPW Commissioner Jason Golub.
The results of a study performed by DPW last summer estimates the tourism parking plan could generate $2.468 million via hourly sales in new revenue during the busy summer season. Costs for implementing the program and operating the plan would cost approximately $1 million, leaving an estimated net revenue of more than $1 million that could be used for other city costs or programs.
The departments of Public Works and Public Safety would both have responsibilities for administrating the program, and changes to the City Code to accommodate the plan, as well as initiating contracts with vendors for pay stations and permit plans would also need to be addressed before implementation.
The city is hopeful the program can be installed by April 2024 with implementation on May 1.
•In other city news, the Council temporarily tabled a proposed one-year contract through the 2024 calendar year with RISE Housing and Support Services that will pay up to $387,160 for the agency to provide homeless shelter services. The contract is expected to be approved during the council’s Dec. 28 meeting.
Earlier this year, the city approved an agreement with RISE to operate the first year-round low barrier facility in Saratoga Springs. Located on Adelphi Street, just west of South Broadway, the 30-bed facility began operations on June 12. Local developer Sonny Bonacio, who secured a five-year lease on the Adelphi Street property, renovated the building and is providing it rent free to RISE until 2025.
The city has aggressively pursued a search for a permanent location to site a homeless shelter and navigation center; the ad hoc Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness offered several option locations earlier this year. With the start of 2024, a new mayor will be seated at the center of the City Council table and members of the Task Force publicly expressed their interest in meeting with mayor-elect John Safford in February.
•The Council also adopted a resolution opposing the construction and operation of Saratoga Biochar Inc.’s sewage sludge and wood chip burning plant in the Moreau Industrial Park. According to the resolution, the plant at full capacity is expected to burn up to 720 tons of sewage sludge per day, with the sewage sludge processed at the Moreau Industrial Park and shipped by large diesel trucks with a likelihood that large trucks filled with sewage sludge will travel through Saratoga Springs.
County Updates: County Supervisors Approve $28.5 Million Terminal Building Construction at Saratoga Airport
SARATOGA COUNTY — At its final scheduled meeting of the calendar year, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 19 approved an agreement with LeChase Construction Services, Inc. of Rochester, for the construction of the new fixed base operator terminal building at Saratoga County Airport at a cost of up to $28.51 million. Of those costs, $24.53 million is listed as increase revenue State Aid under the 2023 Capital Plan, and $3.78 million as transfer from the capital reserve fund.
The 2024 Organizational Meeting of The Board of Supervisors will be held at 4 p.m. Jan. 3, at 40 McMaster St. in Ballston Spa.
Also approved on Dec. 19:
DMV to Stay at Wilton Mall: the Board approved a three-year lease extension with Wilton Mall, LLC for space in the Wilton Mall where the County Department of Motor Vehicles will continue to site a satellite office.
The lease runs Jan. 1, 2024 through Dec. 31, 2026 and totals $3,356.25 per month, plus an annual $900 fixed cost for electricity and an annual fixed charge for water in the amount of $35 per month. Those costs are subject to annual increases of 2% - to fixed electricity charge, and 3% - to rental rate and fixed charge for water commencing on Jan. 1, 2025.
Better Cell: The Board approved a Resolution supporting Empire State Development’s designation of a cellular-specific point person to lead the state’s efforts on enhancing cellular coverage, and further encouraging the state to implement a unified strategy to assure every major road corridor has reliable cell coverage.
County officials reported that approximately 70 percent of 9-1-1 calls originate from cellular phones, adding that 99 percent of respondents in a recent survey of almost 2,000 Adirondack Park residents reported owning a cellular phone, with 67 percent reporting they rely on a cellular phone exclusively.
Copies of the resolution will be forwarded to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Sen. Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Sen. Mark Walczyk, Sen James Tedisco, Assemblymember John McDonald, Assemblywoman Carrie Werner, Assembly-member Matt Simpson and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh.
Spa Park Pump Station Upgrade Project: The Board approved executing a contract with Environmental Design and Research, Landscape Architecture Engineering and Environmental Services D.P.C. of Saratoga Springs, to provide engineering services for the Saratoga County Sewer District No.1’s Spa Park Pump Station upgrade project, at a cost of up to $184,525.
The Saratoga County Sewer District Commission, the Executive Director, and the City of Saratoga Springs each agreed that extending the county-owned sewer infrastructure south on Route 9 could improve existing environmental conditions.
