City Council Members, Public Safety Officials, Business Owners Form Downtown Advisory Committee To “Coordinate a Third-Party Audit of All Protocols Currently In Place”

SARATOGA SPRINGS —A new 14-member downtown advisory committee has been formed with the goal of identifying ways to enhance communications between the businesses and city’s police department, city Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran announced this week. 

The committee will be co-chaired by Commissioner Moran and Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus. 

The first order of business will be to coordinate a third-party audit of all protocols currently in place within the city’s downtown, as well as setting up a workshop for all on-premise license holders in the city with the city’s police department. The goal of the latter is for the police department to provide up-to-date training for local officers and security personnel at these establishments regarding best practices to: “de-escalate situations; pat down or search patrons for weapons; removal of disorderly individual(s) from an establishment; and protocols to speed up the notification of police officers about such situations,” according to a statement released Dec. 20. 

The committee will also discuss City Code Chapter 136 (Lodging and Eating and Drinking Establishments) and NYS Liquor Authority procedures and create a communications plan to ensure that the City Council and the community receive regular updates on the committee’s work, according to the statement.  

The first meeting of the committee is anticipated to take place early in 2023.

Besides the two co-chairs, the members of the downtown advisory committee includes: city Commissioner Minita Sanghvi, Chief Shane Crooks and Lt. Tyler McIntosh – of the Saratoga Springs Police Department;  Assistant Chief Aaron Dyer, Saratoga Springs Fire Department/Chief Code Enforcer; Deann Devitt, President of the Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association; Darryl Leggieri, President, Discover Saratoga; Dean Kolligan, a member of the Downtown Special Assessment District; Jason Fitch, City Tavern; Dennis Kiingati, Hamlet and Ghost; Heidi West, Lifestyles, Caroline & Main, and Union Hall Supply; Brian Miller, Bourbon Room and Ice House; Sara Elacqua, Spa City Tap & Barrel.  

The committee will be supported by Deputy Commissioner of Accounts Stacy Connors, Assistant City Clerk Barbara Brindisi and City Attorney Tony Izzo.