Thomas Dimopoulos

Thomas Dimopoulos

City Beat and Arts & Entertainment Editor
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BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, during its monthly meeting on March 21, proclaimed April as “Donate Life Month” in Saratoga County. 

According to documents cited by the Board, 100,000 men, women and children are awaiting organ transplants and 17 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time.

County employees are encouraged to wear blue and green, the official colors of Donate Life New York State, on the organization’s “Blue and Green Day”-  April 14, 2023.

In New York State, 3,396 transplants were performed in 2022. Approximately 8,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant in N.Y., with more than 1,100 waiting longer than five years. An estimated 500 New Yorkers die every year while waiting for an organ transplant, according to the county Board. 

Anyone 16 years of age or older can enroll as an organ and tissue donor. That information may be found at: https://donatelife.ny.gov/. 

Upgrades To Saratoga County Sewer District No. 1’s Saratoga Springs Pump Station

-The Board authorized the execution of an agreement with W.M. Schultz Construction, Inc. of Ballston Spa, for work relating to the upgrade of the Saratoga Springs pump station. That includes new piping, roof, pump rebuilds, and wet well and influent manhole rehabilitation at a cost of up to $4.148 million. The Board further resolved a services agreement with Dynamic Electrical Systems LLC of Glenville, for electrical work relating to the upgrade of the pump station at a cost of up to $619,000. Funding for the agreements will require an appropriation of $3.067 million from the Sewer Fund Balance.

Establishing An Updated Official Saratoga County Seal

-In 1968, the County established an Official Saratoga County Seal to depict the creation of the County in 1791. Last year, the County began developing a brand strategy to include the standardization of its visual identity across all departments and authorized an agreement with Trampoline Design to do so.

This week, the Board adopted a resolution regarding the new seal. It will be filed with the County Clerk and with the Secretary of State of the State of New York. 

The official seal of Saratoga County portrays the surrender of the Battle of Saratoga, depicting a three-quarter view of a field piece (trail end); Gen. Burgoyne surrendering his sword to General Gates in the presence of color-guard flying the American flag (13 bars and 13 stars-in-a circle) taking place under a tree. Background is composed of a squad of unarmed solders marching, and backdrop shows the mountain ranges to the east. A complete circle of tiny cannon balls rings the picture, and the words “Saratoga County 1791” appear outside the cannon balls and inside an endless rope circle completing  the seal. 

Thursday, 23 March 2023 12:49

Saratoga Springs City Council: March 21

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The city on March 21 awarded a $150,000 Mayor’s Non-Profit grant to Pitney Meadows Community Farm for their investment in a solar infrastructure project. 

The mayor’s non-profit grant committee received four proposals in all vying the grant, Pitney Meadows Farm, Cady Hill Cemetery, RISE, and the YMCA Senior Center, among them. 

“They were all great proposals, very community minded,” city Mayor Ron Kim said. 

Pitney Meadows Community Farm was founded in 2016 with a mission is to celebrate and explore agricultural education, healthy food production, and recreation. It is located on 166 acres on the west side of Saratoga Springs and is preserved in perpetuity as a working farm. Since 2016, it has successfully transitioned from a volunteer-led endeavor to professional non-profit operation, led by expert full-time staff collaborating with the Saratoga community, according to documents presented to the city by the organization. 

In 2022 PMCF welcomed over 6,000 visitors and community members; donated 8,743 pounds of produce; supported more than 100 community gardeners; hosted 162 educational programs; added a full-time staff member to lead a food sovereignty program; and collaborated with more than 20 organizations. However, the parcel is divided into three separate sections, leaving agricultural fields without access to power. 

The organization says to sustain itself as a regenerative agriculture, public health, and ecological asset for future decades it is addressing the significant irrigation and power needs with climate-smart approaches, identifying solar infrastructure as a natural solution to provide the electricity required for the irrigation, propagation, and gathering facilities for the farm’s extensive community-driven operations. 

The total project budget is $336,500. Thus far, $49,000 in grant funding has been received for the solar initiative, and the organization sought the one-time investment by the city of Saratoga of $150,000 in PMCF’s transition to solar energy.   

Phillips Appointed New Assistant City Attorney 

Michael Phillips was appointed Assistant City Attorney of Saratoga Springs, during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. 

Phillips, who was admitted to the NYS Bar in June of 1991, recently ran as Democrat challenger in the county District Attorney race, an election in which incumbent Republican District Attorney Karen Heggen ultimately emerged victorious. 

Compensation stipulated is $2,019 per week for a standard 40-hour work week.

Human Rights Protection Amendment Tabled for Two Weeks

The council seemingly was set to approve the addition of a “Human Rights Protection” chapter to City Code, but a conflict over the clarity of specific language inspired council debate and resulted in the matter being tabled until the city’s next meeting, on April 4. 

The first designation under the Human Rights Protection chapter is scheduled to be the protection of reproductive rights. In doing so, the city says it is recognizing the importance of reproductive healthcare as a matter of health, privacy, and equality and to ensure that those rights are upheld for all city residents. 

While N.Y. State has protections for reproductive rights in place, city Mayor Ron Kim noted that other cities in the state of N.Y. have adopted similar city protective ordinances in light of more restrictive policies being implemented recently in other states. 

New Project Proposal Cycle is Open for Participatory Budgeting

The Saratoga Springs Finance Department launched a Participatory Budgeting pilot project in Spring of 2022. Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which community members decide how to spend part of a public budget. 

A New project proposal cycle is currently open, and the Committee will be accepting project proposals through May 1. 

Several projects were funded during cycle one,  Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project, Jefferson & Vanderbilt Terrace Community Garden, Saratoga Arts & HMT Broadway Live Musical Theater, and a Curling pilot program, among them.

A cycle 2 informational workshop session will be held 6-8 p.m. Friday March 31 at the Recreation Center, and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 25 at the Saratoga Springs Public Library. For more information, go to: www.saratoga-springs.org/2682/Participatory-Budgeting. 

Thursday, 23 March 2023 12:22

Public Safety Numbers Tell A Story

SARATOGA SPRINGS — This week, the Department of Public Safety released its annual report for the 2022 calendar year. 

The city’s Public Safety Department is comprised of a full-time Administrative Office Staff, a Police Department, Fire Department, Code Enforcement Division, Central Dispatch, Traffic Maintenance, Animal Control Officers and a Health Officer. There are approximately 167 full-time employees, and 11 part-time employees – the latter of whom work as school crossing guards, vehicle traffic controllers, part-time cleaners and clerks, and summer laborers at the traffic garage.

The Police Department specifically is currently staffed with a chief, 4 lieutenants, 10 sergeants, 10 investigators, and 47 patrol officers. 

The Department ended the 2022 calendar year with eight vacant patrol positions and the loss of the assistant chief’s position. In 2022, 14 new police officers were hired and trained, 10 were lost through retirements or resignations and 2 new hires left to pursue a career with the New York State Police. Six patrol officers are currently in the police academy and will be available for patrol in May, according to the report. 

Some Findings in the 2022 Report:

• During the year, members of the Saratoga Springs Police Department responded to 26,186 calls for service. Officers generated 3,933 cases that resulted in 821 arrests. Of the individuals arrested, 57% were not residents of the city of Saratoga Springs. 

• The most frequent type of calls were property checks (2,596), followed by traffic stops (2,277). 

• Reported crimes, in number: Larceny (414); Burglary (74); Aggravated Assault (61); Rape (18); Robbery (11), Motor Vehicle Theft (9). The three months with the most reported crimes were, in order: July, May, and June. 

• A separate, “Reported Crimes Part II” detail: Simple Assault (369); Criminal Mischief (189); Driving Under the Influence (119), and Controlled Substance Sale and/or Possession (101) as the most frequent in this category. 

• Driving Under the Influence returned the most arrests (120), followed by Simple Assault (100), Criminal Mischief (67), Larceny (62), and Controlled Substance Possession (62). 

• Of the 26,186 calls for service handled by members of the SSPD, 72 resulted in a use of force by SSPD standards, or 0.27% of the total calls for service. Of the 72 Use of Force reports documented by the SSPD, 26 meet the requirements for reporting by New York State, or 0.1% of the total calls for service. In 2022, 56% of all use of force incidents occurred between midnight and 4 a.m. Officers were injured during suspect encounters in 6 separate incidents in 2022.

• Saratoga Springs Police responded to 1,683 traffic collisions resulting in 998 accident reports being completed in 2022. One of the collisions involved a fatality. Officers conducted 2,280 traffic stops in 2022 and issued 1,686 Uniform Traffic Tickets. Of the tickets issued, 132 were for Driving While Intoxicated. Most crashes, Day of the Week: Friday. The highest number of crashes took place during the month of August.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS – Parking spaces make for sacred places during the Spa City’s heaviest trafficked times, inspiring motorists to navigate a busy Broadway seeking a free spot of convenience to temporarily stash their vehicle. 

The Collamer lot, as it is often referred to, stands just north of City Hall and for several decades has hidden amid the camouflage of plain sight, a welcome respite for wheeled roadsters yearning for rapid runs to any one of the many fine sidewalk coffeehouses lining main street or aid in the undertaking of some quick storefront shopping, alike. 

With quiet suddenness one recent morning, the lot, long unbothered save for a two-hour parking limitation, was discovered in an altered state festooned with a proliferation of tall metal poles upon which were posted signs warning all who enter: Private Parking. All Others Will Be Towed. Of course, the new, mammoth city parking structure welcoming motorists stands a mere few dozen yards away. But, still. 

So, what gives? 

As it turns out, the city of Saratoga Springs, which owned the lot, sold it about 16 months ago to Algonquin LLC for approximately $1.2 million. 

“They finally, I am told, exercised their control over it,” said Saratoga Springs City Attorney Tony Izzo, when asked about it. “It was a situation where they needed to do that, because the public was essentially still viewing it as a public parking lot. Now that they’ve put the signs up, it should be very clear to the public that it’s a private parking lot.” 

Izzo said there were some discussions with the owner’s attorneys regarding whether or not the city might subsequently lease a part of the lot, but that did not happen. “The city wanted to sell it and be done with it.” 

The space had once sited the Pavilion Hotel – built in 1819 and felled by a fire in the 1840s. In 1857, the First Presbyterian Church was built atop the lot at a cost of $3,000 and supplemented with an organ to provide the public “the pleasure of hearing its tone and power,” according to published reports of the time. 

The church stood for 119 years, itself destroyed by a fire of suspicious origin in the pre-dawn hours of the last Thursday of January 1976. Flames from the blaze shot up as high as 200 feet according to eyewitnesses and was first discovered by then-23-year-old Saratoga Springs patrolman Frank Max. Max, now 70 years of age and still living locally, said when contacted for this article last week, that he vaguely remembers seeing smoke coming from the building while he was walking his beat.  As a result of the fire, three policemen and a firefighter were injured and 60 residents of the adjacent Algonquin apartment house and the Collamer building were evacuated from the safety of their abodes. 

Nearly a decade ago, the parcel was to be coupled with a land sale in an acquisition that sought to develop an east side fire station. And in 2008, the city contemplated various proposals from three different development groups that included the sale of the so-called Collamer and High Rock lots in exchange for a new public safety facility, a parking garage, retail/residential buildings and potentially a city-wide paid parking system. None of the proposals ultimately came to fruition.    

A plaque fixed to a stone outside the building told the history of the church, although that plaque has gone missing and today only a naked stone remains. 

More changes are planned for the lot in the future. A site plan filed with the city of Saratoga Springs last September calls for a proposed mixed-use project to include approximately 4,000 sq. ft. commercial space and 112 residential units on the upper floors. The proposed project is titled Algonquin Properties Re-Development. The applicant is The Algonquin, LLC, of Monsey, N.Y.

There are also plans for a portion of the parking area of the lot itself. 

“We’ve rented a number of the spaces to a number of people in the Collamer (building) and at City Hall,” says Will Borchers, manager at the Algonquin. “In a couple of weeks, we’re also going to implement a paid parking system - by the hour, or by the day.” That system will be using an app and a QR code and will feature somewhere around three dozen spaces. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Less than 15 months have passed since the start of their respective two-year terms, and the next vote-casting day is scheduled to take place more than 33 weeks away. 

Cue the candidates for the November 2023 election. 

Last month, the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee announced their endorsed slate of candidates for this year’s city election. This week, the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee followed suit.   

The Democratic Committee endorsed each of the five current City Council members – all of whom are Democrats. Those incumbents are:  Ron Kim for Mayor, Minita Sanghvi for Commissioner of Finance, Jim Montagnino for Commissioner of Public Safety, Jason Golub for Commissioner of Public Works and Dillon Moran for Commissioner of Accounts. Additionally, Gordon Boyd was endorsed by the committee as Supervisor to represent the city at the county level. 

This week, the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee announced their nomination of “three strong candidates,” said city GOP Chairman Mike Brandi. “While the current City Council and Democratic Committee consume themselves with politics and petty squabbles, the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee remains focused on what really matters: delivering candidates who will provide effective, competent, and transparent government for the residents of Saratoga Springs.”

The endorsed candidates are: John Safford for Mayor, Matt Veitch – running for reelection to a ninth term as County Supervisor, and Tim Coll for Public Safety. 

Safford, a Vietnam Veteran and small-business entrepreneur, was previously unsuccessful in a 2015 bid to unseat incumbent Mayor Joanne Yepsen and in his 2021 run for Supervisor.    

Veitch has served as Supervisor since 2008, advocating for the city of Saratoga Springs at the county level. 

Coll, who worked as a Special Agent of the FBI for 30 years, is seeking the position of Commissioner of Public Safety. Coll received the unanimous endorsement of the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee. He is also a registered Democrat. 

“Tim Coll is indisputably qualified for this position,” said Chairman Brandi, adding that Coll will bring decades of law enforcement and leadership experience with the FBI to “repair and restore the toxic environment that is poisoning the public safety department under the current Commissioner… the Committee is proud to put politics aside to support a candidate as qualified and motivated to serve our city as Tim is.” 

Coll says he decided to run because over concerns about “the potential impact of the mismanagement that currently plagues the Public Safety Department.” Coll said after being “denied the opportunity to address the full Democratic Committee for their support,” he sought the endorsement of city Republican leadership. “While I am a registered Democrat, I refuse to be drawn into the tribalism of Democrats vs. Republicans.” 

Coll’s campaign manager is Jane Weihe, a past chair of Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee. Weihe was previously unsuccessful in her bid as city Finance Commissioner in 2007 and in a mayoral run in 1987. She is married to local political blogger John Kaufman. Coll said he plans on being on the November ballot as a Democrat with GOP endorsement.

The City Council is comprised of five councilmembers – one mayor and four commissioners. Saratoga Springs is additionally represented at the county by two supervisors. Elections for all seven seats are held every two years. 

In addition to the six candidates endorsed by the city Democratic Committee overall and the three thus far nominated by the city Republican Committee, former city Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan recently announced she will be vying for a seat as Saratoga County Supervisor, and former Public Safety Commissioner Chris Mathiesen said he will run for Mayor.  All potential candidates will now be soliciting signatures in order participate in the election, making for a busy Primary and Election season in Saratoga Springs. 

The 2023 Election Cycle Calendar points to Primary Elections, where applicable, on June 27, with Early Voting June 17-25. The General Election will be held Nov. 7, with Early Voting Oct. 28-Nov. 5. This year, an election will be held in Saratoga Springs for all five City Council seats – that is, the mayor and four commissioners, as well as both Supervisor positions. 

Countywide, registered Republican make up approximately 35.8% of all registered voters, with Democrats charting 29.2% and “blanks” - or registered voters not enrolled in any party - accounting for 27.6%. 

In the city of Saratoga Springs, that balance shifts, with Democrats counting just under 40%, Republicans at 28% and blanks at 26.4%.  

Voters: Unsure if you are already registered to vote? Go HERE.

Thursday, 09 March 2023 15:02

No Toilets for You

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Hoping to get ahead of what he called a looming “crisis” come spring, city Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino invited council discussion by suggesting the installation of portable toilets at the Woodlawn Garage. 

The thinking is that those portable toilets would be available for use during the late-night and early morning hours by the city’s homeless population after the April 30 lease conclusion of the temporary Code Blue shelter on Adelphi Street. 

“We know the Woodlawn Garage – for better or worse and mostly for worse, the Woodlawn Garage is where many of the unhoused congregate,” Montagnino said. “I think we as a civilized society owe the most vulnerable members of society some modicum of dignity where we can provide it. When Code Blue closes there will be no place – I repeat - no place in the city of Saratoga Springs where after-hours a public toilet is accessible by anyone.” 

Preliminary inquiries indicated costs would be approximately just under $1,000 per month for two handicap-accessible and wheelchair-accessible portable toilets regularly serviced, Montagnino added. 

The proposal as brought to the council table, however, raised several concerns among the other council members, who argued its “discussion and vote” format lacked clarity about how the logistics might work, as well as lacking specific information regarding where revenue would be sourced, how it would be monitored or policed during the overnight period, issues of fair biding practices, and reports of a less-than-stellar track record of previous similar attempts made by the city.   

“I think we’ve got a cart way before the horse in this situation,” city Mayor Ron Kim said, adding that earlier attempts by previous DPW Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco resulted in “a really bad situation where a number of issues occurred that we don’t have to go into in the public realm here. It’s my understanding that Commissioner Scirocco basically saw this as a failure,” Kim said.  “I think we need to get public input on this, but my view is we ought to be working very hard to get a permanent shelter as soon as possible. And I’m not sure this makes any sense at all.” 

“Mr. Mayor, when we talk about what doesn’t make any sense at all,” Montagnino responded, “is we have the permanent shelter. Back in October I was there with you when we announced the permanent shelter,” the commissioner said, referencing last year’s announcement by the city that it would site a permanent 24/7 shelter on Woodlawn Avenue in 2023, after converting the city-owned building that had previously served as the Senior Center. 

Three months later, in January 2023, some members of the Saratoga Central Catholic School - which partially borders the Williams Street Senior Center - began to express concerns regarding the siting of a shelter in close proximity to the private school. By February, the shelter proposal met with an increasing backlash from parents and community members.

“People yelled at you and you caved,” Montagnino said to Kim. “The building that was earmarked for that permanent shelter will lay fallow while our unhoused population will suffer for the foreseeable future.” 

Kim responded to Montagnino’s criticism by providing a timeline.  “What happened was Shelters of Saratoga abandoned the plan and the resolution that I brought to this table that people voted 5-0 to support. They walked away from that, so we had to take a step back,” Kim said. “I didn’t cave. I went into the school and told them - in a very hostile audience - that Williams Street was still on the table, that it still could be the shelter, but I wanted three things to happen: we figure out what we need, we figure out the facility, and most importantly now, we figure out who will actually provide that service,” Mayor Kim said. “Williams Street is still on the table, and it remains on the table.” 

Commissioners Golub, Moran and Sanghvi each expressed concern about the way the portable toilets idea was presented this week, as well as the lack of detailed clarity regarding how the installation and maintenance of the portable toilets would be accomplished. Commissioner Sanghvi floated the traction-gaining suggestion that the currently operational public bathrooms in Congress Park could be open for extended hours, after the Code Blue lease runs out on April 30. 

Ultimately, the 22-minute discussion March 8 at the council table regarding the installation of two public toilets at the Woodlawn Garage lacked gaining a second motion, subsequently failing to move the issue to a public hearing on March 21. 

Public Hearings approved to take place March 21: 

•The City Council will host a Public Hearing on Tuesday, March 21 during its regular council meeting regarding potential earlier start times of those meetings. 

Meetings – which generally take place on the first and third Tuesday of every month – start at 7 p.m. Last month, the mayor suggested the start time be relocated to 5 p.m. The purpose of the hearing on March 21 is to solicit opinions from the public regarding a potential earlier starting time, the mayor said. 

One suggestion implemented at the March 7 council meeting featured an expansion of the time allotted each public speaker - from 2 minutes previously, to 4 minutes.  Additionally, two Public Comment Periods – one at the start of the meeting and one at the end of the meeting – were featured. 

• Public Hearing on a proposed ordinance amending city Municipal Code entitled “General Legislation” to add a chapter titled “Human Rights Protection.” The first of the proposed “Human Rights” protections is slated as the protection of reproductive rights. “We invite the public to comment on this important local legislation that will locally protect the right to choose,” city Mayor Ron Kim said. 

• Public Hearing regarding the establishment of an Independent advisory committee to review the city’s compliance to Police Reform Task Force recommendations as ratified in 2021. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A proposed workforce housing project will be one focus of Monday night’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at City Hall. 

According to documents filed with the city, the applicant - Liberty Affordable Housing, Inc., of Rome, NY, and the owners – Saratoga Harness Racing, are seeking an area variance of 8 feet relief on a 48-foot structure to permit the development of workforce housing. 

Plans call for the construction of approximately 215 workforce housing units on the 30-plus acre property located at the corner of Jefferson St. and Crescent Ave. 

The ZBA Meeting gets underway at 6:30 p.m. on March 13 at Saratoga Springs City Hall. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Chandler Hickenbottom pleaded not guilty to a disorderly conduct charge during her arraignment at Saratoga Springs City Court on March 7.   

The violation charge, specified as disturbing a lawful assembly, was requested by City Council member and Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino in connection with the disruption of a Feb. 7 City Council meeting. That council meeting was subsequently adjourned early and eventually resumed two days later.

“I filed the charge that I filed because the City Council meeting was ended. It wasn’t delayed, it wasn’t’ interrupted, it was ended,” Montagnino said, during the City Council meeting Tuesday night, March 8. 

The 26-year-old Saratoga Black Lives Matter activist was accompanied by her attorney Mark Mishler who told the court that the allegations infringe and violate Hickenbottom’s protected First Amendment rights. 

Inside the courtroom, supporters of Hickenbottom wore newly minted red sweatshirts stenciled with the hashtag #thepeoplesmeeting and name-checking the city’s public safety commissioner with the stenciled phrase addition “Your Racism Is Showing.”    

Both Saratoga Springs City Judges - Jeffrey Wait and Francine Vero –  apparently withdrew from hearing the case, the reason for their respective recusals not immediately known. Mechanicville City Court Judge Constantine DiStefano instead took the position at the judge’s bench flanked by the U.S. flag and N.Y. State flag as a handful of regionally based television news crew members sat in the jury box and fixed their cameras on the defendant’s table. 

In court, Judge Constantine DiStefano denied an additional filing by the commissioner, who sits on the City Council, for an order of protection. If approved, it presumably would have barred Hickenbottom from attending council meetings, which are attended by Montagnino. 

All parties are scheduled to return to city court on March 28.

“This whole situation is absolutely ridiculous,” Hickenbottom said, meeting with members of the media on the steps of City Hall following her appearance in court. “What we see is a public official now taking out an Order of Protection against an activist. This is taking away from my (ability) to go to City Council meetings, to speak about things I feel I should be able to speak about.  I am a lifelong community member, born and raised in Saratoga Springs, and it is my right to come to these City Council meetings.” 

Hickenbottom said recent developments are “fracturing” the relationship between Saratoga BLM and city government. Recently, the council agreed to hold a special forum with activists to discuss issues. That forum is anticipated to take place March 21. 

A number of Saratoga BLM activists are intending to bring a lawsuit against the city, according to Hickenbottom’s attorney, Mark Mishler said. “Going back well before (city protests in) July 2020, but at least for these purposes, starting in July 2020, there has been a policy and practices directed and motivated to violate the civil rights, the constitutional rights, of Saratoga BLM and other supporters of Saratoga BLM,” Mishler said. “We didn’t need this new charge to have a very strong lawsuit against the city of Saratoga Springs, (but) it is our intent that this event will also be part of the lawsuit.” 

There is no specific timeline to file a potential lawsuit, but Mishler reminded that the state Attorney General’s office remains engaged in an investigation of the city related to civil rights violations. “We are interested in seeing what the Attorney General’s office says when they complete their investigation, so, most likely a lawsuit will not be filed until that process is complete.” 

“I want to see actual change,” Hickenbottom said. “Nothing is going to change if they don’t listen to the things that the community wants. What I’m looking for is the City Council to actually listen to the community. The only way we’re going to move forward and be a better Saratoga is to listen to the people who are working in Saratoga and living in Saratoga. And that doesn’t mean the people who are rich in Saratoga. That means the minorities of Saratoga: the poor, the black, the homeless.”

The other four members of the City Council have come out publicly expressing disapproval of the action brought by their fellow Democrat public safety commissioner. 

“I wish we hadn’t taken this step,” city Mayor Ron Kim said, shortly after Hickenbottom’s court appearance. “I don’t think we need to have a court hearing on someone who is exercising their free speech, even though that speech we may not like, or we may not like the way they are delivering it; it’s still essentially a First Amendment right and we shouldn’t have the courts dealing with this. It’s regrettable we have this situation.” 

“Where we are now is partly because of Darryl Mount, but it’s not only because of that,” said Saratoga BLM activist Alexis Figuereo. 

Darryl Mount was a 21-year-old biracial man who was mortally injured while fleeing city police in the early morning hours of Aug. 31, 2013. Mount was subsequently in a coma for several months following the incident and died in May 2014. 

The city’s Public Safety Department maintained there was no police misconduct evident related to the circumstances of the injuries suffered by Mount, although the level of speculation about what may have occurred has remained high among some area residents, particularly after a 2018 report published by the Times Union revealed court documents showing the city’s then police chief admitted no internal investigation into misconduct was ever conducted and that he had intentionally deceived a local reporter whose published stories referenced an ongoing internal investigation that the chief knew didn’t exist.

“I believe with all the things that have been going on across America, and even in our own communities – things that are swept under the rug and people don’t talk about – that’s the reason we came together in 2020 to speak our mind,” Figuereo said. In the summer of 2020, protests for social and racial justice ramped up regionally much as they had nationwide in the wake of the May 25 murder of George Floyd in in Minneapolis.    

“Even if there was no Darryl Mount we would be out here. Daryl Mount is a big part of it, but there are still a bunch of other people who have been abused in this community and in this county - being called racist words, the KKK flyers on our cars. It needs to be spoken against, and that’s what we’re going to do.”    

SARATOGA SPRINGS - The Saratoga Springs City Council has decided that it will revert to a time-honored 7 p.m. start for its meeting on Tuesday, March 7. 
 
Late last month, the council moved to change the start of its first-and-third Tuesday of the month meetings to 5 p.m., and to hold Public Comment sessions at the end of the meeting, rather than the start - as has long been the case. The announcement to revert to 7 p.m. (and to once again hold Public Comment sessions at the beginning of the night) was made during the council's pre-agenda meeting at noon on Friday, March 3. 
 
The change last month was intiated as a way of addressing potential solutions to the lengthy and at-times volatile public comment sessions during recent council meetings.
 
Each speaker was also to be allotted twice as long to talk as is currently allotted - four minutes instead of two. It is unclear whether the two-minute rule will also be back in effect. 
 
A discussion is scheduled to take place on the mayor’s agenda Tuesday night March 7 regarding any future changes to council time(s). 
 
 
 
 
 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Planning Board will host its next meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 9 at City Hall. 

Planning Board applications currently under consideration include: 

• Stewarts 177 S Broadway & 28 Lincoln - Initiation of Coordinated SEQRA Review of a proposed redevelopment of existing Stewart’s Shop, demolition of all existing site features and replacement of fuel tanks and canopy, and a new two-story 3,720 sq. ft. Stewart’s Shop.

• 3368 South Broadway Hotel - Expansion Site Plan review for an addition to an existing hotel to incorporate 17 new rooms in the Gateway Commercial - Rural district. The expansion along the southern hall of the building would be a total of 2,942 square feet new footprint, according to documents filed with the city. Three parking spaces will also be added to the site of the project, which is titled Homewood Suites. 

• 500 Union Longfellows Renovations - Site plan review of a proposed redevelopment of the existing Longfellow’s hotel, restaurant and conference center in the Interlaken PUD. 

The project description calls for the demolition of the restaurant portion of the main building, while maintaining the existing hotel rooms on the building’s north side. Addition plans point to the development of a new building to connect to the existing block of hotel rooms and the construction of a connecting bridge. 

In specific numbers, plans call for the number of rooms to increase from 18 in the main building and 32 in the hotel wing, to 54 and 34, respectively, according to the most recently revised plans submitted to the city.      

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Blotter

  • New York State Police The New York State Police announced that it issued 5,576 tickets during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day enforcement initiative. The campaign began on Friday, March 15, and continued until Sunday, March 17. During the campaign, funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, State Police utilized sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and underage drinking and sales to minors detail. State Police also ticketed distracted drivers who use handheld electronic devices. State Troopers arrested 132 people for DWI and investigated 199 crashes, which resulted in 25 people being injured and no fatalities. As part of the enforcement, Troopers also…

Property Transactions

  • BALLSTON Heather DiCaprio sold property at 473 Garrett Rd to Justine Levine for $288,000 Sharon Willman sold property at 99 Jenkins Rd to Charles Lemley for $165,000 CORINTH George Montena sold property at 422 Oak St to Stephen James for $142,250 Mark Makler sold property at 313 Oak St to Sabrina Sinagra for $195,000 GREENFIELD Landlord Services of Upstate New York sold property at 1935 NYS Rt 9N to Cochise Properties LLC for $210,000 MALTA  Linda LaBarge sold property at 35 Snowberry Rd to Qu Haozheng for $270,000 Dennis Mitchell sold property at 60 Village Circle North to BGRS Relocation…
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