SARATOGA SPRINGS — Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Saratoga Springs) is calling on Rivers Casino to pay its statutory obligation to the Saratoga Harness (SHHA).

“I have deep concerns that what has been proposed in the Governor’s budget, what has been termed a sweetheart deal for Rivers Casino, would in fact make all of this impossible,” said Woerner, during a press conference at the harness track March 16.   

The proposal in the Governor’s budget would eliminate statutory purse support payments to SHHA until six months after all COVID restrictions are lifted. According to Woerner, the proposal renders the SHHA inoperable and “there would no longer be harness racing in Saratoga Springs.”

Woerner explained that both the Casino and the Harness Track were closed for months during the pandemic and that SHHA doesn’t expect the full payment, which could amount to millions of dollars. But she and SHHA, did expect Rivers to come to the table in good faith and negotiate a reasonable outcome for both. Rivers has not paid its purse support payments since the beginning of 2020—two-and-a-half months before the pandemic shut down businesses across the state, Woerner added. 

In 2013 when New York sited four casinos upstate, the state also moved to support the harness racing industry by establishing purse support payments. The statutory purse payments were designed to offset the loss of income at the state’s harness tracks caused by the new casinos. These payments are sourced from revenues that casinos make from Video Lottery Terminals (VLT). The four upstate casinos–including Rivers Casino–have been required to make purse payments since their inception. The Saratoga Casino has made good on its commitment to SHHA but Rivers has not.

“This is a big casino. This is a wealthy corporation . . . Rush Street Gaming which is the parent company for Rivers Casino last year did a public offering. They are sitting on a quarter of a billion dollars of cash. Clearly enough to both operate their casino and meet their obligations,” said Woerner.

The funds provide financial support for trainers, drivers, groomers and the small businesses that support Saratoga’s Harness industry. Among other costs, these funds pay for: Mandatory state racing fees; Payment toward the Dept. of Environmental Conservation required program to remove manure from the back stretch; Minimum driver stipend paid to each driver for each race; Required program reimbursement fee for each live race card, and $31,451.18 per month ($377,414 annually) for SHHA member health insurance.

“There are 700 owners and trainers in Saratoga Horsemen. There are thousands of families—mostly black and brown families—that work in the barns, that work in local farms, that work in farms across the state in the harness business. There are farriers that shoe the horses, there are veterinarians, there are farmers that grow the hey, the straw, the oats—this is a big economic impact,” said Woerner. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — City Republican Chairman Chris Obstarczyk announced March 16 the committee’s endorsed slate of candidates for the fall 2021 city and county elections. 

The City of Saratoga Springs Republican Committee has endorsed first-time candidates Heidi Owen West, Mayor; Tracey LaBelle, Public Safety; JoAnne Kiernan, Finance; Samantha Guerra, Accounts, and incumbent Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco. 

In a prepared statement, Obstarczyk called the GOP slate “the most diverse and dynamic group of Saratogians that have been fielded to run for office in decades.” All four first-time candidates are women.

“It’s unprecedented. We’re going to make history. We have a unified, qualified and experienced ticket that is going to impress all Saratogians,” said Obstarczyk. “To have four talented, dynamic and impressive women, who have been leaders in our city for years, is inspiring. They’re going to do great things for our city.” 

West, a political independent, said her motivation to run for mayor is centered on improving the economic, social and community health of the city.

“We have to bring life back to downtown. The tourism destination that our city is requires it. It’s a significant factor in keeping taxes low while providing quality, reliable services to our residents,” West said, in a statement. She has been a resident of Saratoga Springs for 53 years. 

“Like so many Saratogians, I’ve invested a great deal of my own sweat equity into our city. What we’re facing and experiencing right now is testing our city’s strength. The only way we’re going to meet the daunting challenges ahead of us is having leadership in city hall that knows what it’s like to pour your heart and soul into the community that you love. I’ve been doing that as a business owner and community leader for over 30 years,” West said.

Regarding representation of the city at the county level, the Committee endorsed incumbent Supervisor Matthew Veitch, and John Safford for the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. 

Sarah Burger, chair of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee, said city Democrats anticipate announcing their slate of candidates in the next few weeks. 

BALLSTON SPA — At its monthly meeting, held March 16, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors approved the adoption of a police reform report presented by its appointed seven-member “Executive Order 203 Compliance Group.” 

The group was charged with conducting a comprehensive review of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office – including strategies, deployment practices, and policies – and submitting a report of potential recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, as per Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Order in 2020. 

The group stated the following recommendations: 

1. Facilitate and establish an advisory committee to continue to seek public input and community involvement in reviewing policies and procedures utilized by the Sheriff’s Office beyond April 1, 2021.

2. Encourage the Saratoga County Sheriff to take steps necessary to maintain compliance with the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.

3. Encourage the Saratoga County Sheriff to maintain policies consistent with the model policies as provided by the New York State Municipal Police Training Council.

4. Encourage the Saratoga County Sheriff to study and implement training and programs related to topics such as: diversity and cultural education, and elimination of bias.

5. Recommend that the Saratoga County Sheriff explore the development of a body camera and in-car video program for agency. A draft policy should be submitted to the Public Safety Committee for review and recommendations. Recommend that the Board of Supervisors consider funding the establishment of the Sheriff’s body camera and in-car video program to include equipment, storage, and requisite staff for the review and management of video records.

6. Encourage the Sheriff to consult with the Board of Supervisors and its Public Safety Committee in exploring the feasibility of creation of a Professional Standards position or group within the Sheriff’s Office in lieu of the current ad-hoc method of collecting and investigating complaints, reviewing and updating policy and auditing agency performance.

7. Encourage the Sheriff to amend policies and procedures as needed to facilitate collection of additional demographic data on law enforcement contacts to include data related to race and ethnicity.

8. Facilitate the establishment of a County created and maintained list of resources for the public and county employees to reference in lieu of contacting or deploying law enforcement personnel for certain non-law enforcement incidents.

9. Encourage and Recommend the Sheriff continue to engage and support the inclusion of mental health resources in the daily functions of the Sheriff’s Office to the benefit of both the community and members of law enforcement.

10. Recommend to the Sheriff to examine whether methods exist to use equipment with military appearances where necessary to control public disruption and protect lives, but in a manner that reduces the possibility of instilling fear or apprehension on the part of citizens engaging in legitimate public assembly and speech.

“This is an important step forward for our Sheriff’s Office and our County,” said Theodore Kusnierz, Chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. “We wanted to find updated approaches to policing in Saratoga County to ensure that our officers could do their jobs as effectively as possible while also making sure that our entire community feels safe and protected, and I believe this report and its recommendations will help us do that.”

Saratoga Springs City Supervisor Tara Gaston cast the lone vote against. While she said she favored the recommendations, Supervisor Gaston expressed concern that some of the recommendations – those instituting the use of body cameras and in-car videos, among them – lacked more urgent language that would see those recommendations implemented. “I’d like to see this not as a possibility to explore, but as a plan to be developed,” Gaston said.     

The county Compliance Group reported that from 2016 through 2019, there were between 11 and 22 use of force reports per year. None involved the discharge of a firearm. Over that four-year period, 25 civilian complaints were received, 11 of them sustained. One complaint alleged excessive force, and one complaint alleged bias. Neither allegation was sustained. 

Regarding last summer’s event in Saratoga Springs that involved a planned “Back the Blue” rally and a counter-protest by the groups “BLM” and “All of Us,” the Compliance Group said that while it had conducted no structured fact-finding hearing regarding the July 30 event, it did not identify any specific instance of misconduct on the part of any Sheriff’s Department employee. 

“Nevertheless, many comments were made concerning the use of the MRAP and the “militarization” of police departments in general,” reads the group’s report. “Accordingly, the Compliance Group believes that the Sheriff should examine whether methods exist to use equipment with military appearances where necessary to control public disruption and protect lives, but in a manner that reduces the possibility of instilling fear or apprehension on the part of citizens engaging in legitimate public assembly and speech.” 

Members of the Saratoga County Executive Order 203 Compliance Group are: Dr. Michael Prezioso, Director of the Saratoga County Mental Health Clinic, Chairman Undersheriff Richard Castle, Vice Chairman Darren O’Connor – Supervisor – Town of Malta Thomas Richardson – Supervisor – City of Mechanicville Opal Hinds – Community Member Karen Heggen – Saratoga County District Attorney Andrew Blumenberg – Saratoga County Public Defender.

The 30-page report may be found at: www.saratogacountyny.
gov/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/
02/Saratoga-County-Executive-Order-203-Compliance-Group-January2021-Report.pdf. 

BALLSTON SPA ­— The Church Hill Historic District, in the hamlet of Crescent in the Town of Halfmoon, has received nomination to be added to the State and National Register for Historic Places, the Saratoga County History Center announced this week. 

The Church Hill Historic District is in the hamlet of Crescent, just to the east of NYS Route 9, in Halfmoon. The district includes 13 residential structures, examples of how the Erie Canal and the Mohawk River shaped communities along the southern border of Saratoga County. A burst of prosperity in the second quarter of the 19th century related to the location of the Crescent Aqueduct was responsible for many of the architectural examples of high-style homes and businesses in this hamlet. Subsequently, the demise of the original canal and changing forms of transportation forced this community to evolve, first as a result of the Barge Canal and then as a result of increasing automobile traffic. Throughout these changes, stellar examples of both high-style buildings and vernacular structures remain to tell the story of the bygone canal era. They deserve the measures of protection that a listing on the register affords them.

Over 75 Saratoga County districts, sites, buildings, and structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the United States of America’s official list of historic properties worthy of preservation. Buildings that are listed on the State and National Registers are eligible for various public preservation programs and services — such as matching state grants, or state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits — to assist property owners in maintaining and revitalizing the buildings.

The Saratoga County History Center is dedicated to preserving and sharing the diverse histories of Saratoga County. Previously focused on the Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa, the SCHC offers a wide variety of education programming online. When Brookside Museum re-opens this summer, the SCHC will debut new exhibits and family-friendly events. Visit: brooksidemuseum.org. 

BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office and other police agencies will participate in a special enforcement effort to crack down on impaired driving. The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts continue through Sunday, March 21. 

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend is a notoriously deadly period for impaired driving due to the number of celebrations and drivers on the road. New York State Police, County Sheriff and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force in this across-the-board effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related injuries and deaths.

The STOP-DWI St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by STOP-DWI NY and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. The campaign also targets Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day Weekend, Halloween and the national Holiday Season in December.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have made great strides in reducing the numbers of alcohol and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. 

County & City Police Reforms

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The city is targeting an April 1 deadline to comply with an Executive Order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo stating that municipalities across the state adopt local plans for police department reform.  Two special meetings of the City Council – to take place March 23 and March 31 – have been scheduled to review and approve recommendations for Saratoga Springs police reform. 

Last June, in the aftermath of the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minnesota and subsequent protests across the nation demanding change and accountability among the law enforcement community, Cuomo directed a comprehensive review of existing police force deployments, strategies, policies, procedures, and practices be conducted, and plans for reform adopted by local municipalities by April 1, 2021 to be eligible for future state funding.

Last week, the results of a survey used by them to assist in finalizing their recommendations to the Saratoga Springs City Council was posted online. The 97-page report may be read at: saratoga-springs.org.   

On March 5, the 13-member Saratoga Springs Police Task Force released its 108-page report: Reinvention Plan: Toward a Community Centered Justice Initiative. 

“It contains more than 50 recommendations intended to improve the policies and practices of the Saratoga Springs police Department,” city attorney Vincent DeLeonardis explained to the council during its meeting on March 16. “It is now up to the Council to review and deliberate on the proposed recommendations and determine which of those recommendations will be implemented – and how.” 

A draft of the report may be viewed on the city website at: saratoga-springs.org. 

“This is a big first step that we’re taking here, but it has to go on. We can’t possibly reform everything in seven months,” city Mayor Meg Kelly said, regarding the amount of time which the Task Force was granted to conduct their review – in between the time of Gov. Cuomo’s order and the city’ s adoption deadline. 

“We have to have a plan moving forward and I think that’s what we’re doing with this resolution. We’re going to continue working with the Commissioner of Public Safety (Robin Dalton) and working with the chiefs to continue on the reform,” she said. “We have to submit something April 1 and then we can continue to work through all these changes. Police reform has to continue after April 1, it doesn’t end.”   

Two special meetings of the City Council were scheduled to specifically review the task force recommendations for police reform. Those meetings will take place 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 23 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 31. The meetings will be live streamed via Zoom and on the city’s website, and public comment will be allowed at both meetings. 

2020 Overview

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 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 161 full-time and 11 part-time employees. The part-time employees work as school crossing guards, vehicle traffic controllers, part time cleaners, part time clerk and summer laborers at the traffic garage.

• The Fire Department operates out of two fire stations and serves the City of Saratoga Springs, which encompasses 29.07 square miles of residential, commercial, and agricultural properties and parks.

• Fire Department 2020: The Saratoga Springs Fire Department responded to 4868 calls for service, which represents a 7.38% decrease overall from 2019. Specifically, there were 85 calls for service regarding fires – the highest number of fire responses since 2017. 

• Ambulance 2020: 3,454 Emergency medical calls, a daily average of 9.46, and 2,269 transports.

• The Police department currently employs 72 sworn law enforcement officers. Over the past five years, averaged approximately 30,500 calls for service, 1,290 arrests, and 28.33 incidents involving uses of force per year.

• Police Department 2020: 30,880 calls for service. The Investigations Unit assisted in 39 missing person cases in 2020, and officers deployed Narcan on 16 separate calls for service.

Click Here for Moxxi Awarding Micro Grants to Saratoga County Women

ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo announced this week that 10 new state-run mass vaccination sites will be opening in the coming weeks. One of those sites is slated for Gurney Lane in Queensbury, located   approximately a half-hour north of downtown Saratoga Springs and just off Northway Exit 20. 

An opening date and criteria for vaccination has yet to be announced. 

As of this week, approximately one-fourth of Saratoga County’s 230,000 residents have received at least one vaccine dose, according to statistics provided by New
York State. 

Also announced this week: restaurants outside of New York City which have been operating at 50 percent capacity, can move to 75 percent capacity starting March 19. New York City restaurants will remain at 35% capacity. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo, Clerk Craig Hayner, Surrogate Court Judge Richard Kupferman and Coroner Susan Hayes-Masa, announced their respective reelection campaigns on March 5 at the Saratoga Springs Casino and Hotel. All four incumbent candidates are Republican Party members. 

First elected in 2012, Richard Kupferman, 59, is seeking his second term as Saratoga County Surrogate Court Judge. Kupferman has resided in Saratoga County for more than 50 years and has more than 20 years of legal service to Saratoga County and several of its municipalities. 

Craig Hayner, 53, has been County Clerk since 2014. Under his leadership the Saratoga County Clerk’s Office and the Saratoga County DMV have seen a 12.4% overall increase in revenue. Together, the offices have contributed approximately 7.5 million dollars to the County, positively impacting the county budget.

Michael Zurlo, 67, a Saratoga County native was first elected as Sheriff in 2013. Prior to that, he served 31 years as a member of the sheriff’s office holding the positions of senior investigator, patrol deputy, criminal investigator, sergeant, and lieutenant.   Zurlo has also served on the bench as the Town Justice in the Town of Stillwater before stepping down in 2013.

Running for a third term, Susan Hayes-Masa, 66, of Saratoga Springs, was first elected as Saratoga County Coroner in 2013.  Working for the Coroner’s Office since 1995, Susan is accredited by the New York State Association of County Coroners and Medical Examiners, and a certified surgical technician who has completed the Medical Examiner/Coroner 101 course.  Susan retired as Director of Donor Services with the Lions Eye Bank after 22 years of service.

The four countywide positions up for vote are Surrogate Court Judge (1), Sheriff (1), County Clerk (1), and Coroner (1). Election Day 2021 is Nov. 2.

VICTORY — A once-burgeoning mill a top a historic landscape has been targeted for a large-scale residential reuse that could transform this small Saratoga County village located on the north bank of Fish Creek.

The village of Victory, located in the town of Saratoga, counts approximately 600 residents and borders the village of Schuylerville. It played an important role during the era of the Battle of Saratoga in the 1770s and a century later served as the home of the Victory Manufacturing Company – employer of several hundred people. After hitting its peak in the 1870s, an economic downturn in the early 20th century forced the company known for creating high quality cotton goods to begin laying off employees. 

The mill – built in the early 20th century and standing just north of the site of the original 1846 plant – was last occupied in 2000. This week, the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency approved $41.9 million in tax incentives over a 30-year period in connection with a plan that calls for the redevelopment of the mill to house 186 apartments. 

The 186 apartments atop the 6.6-acre property would include 127 one-bedroom and 59 two-bedroom apartments with rents anticipated to range from $800 to $1,300 per month, says Larry Regan, president of Regan Development Corporation. 

The anticipated residents filling the apartments of the converted five-story building Regan says, “commuting professionals looking for a place that is not in a downtown city, who want more of a suburban location in a cool retro-fitted building, and who want a large, good-price-point affordable apartment.” 

Regan Development has been involved in quality developments and revitalization throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for a generation, most recently a complex that combines 72 workforce rental apartments at the mixed-use five-story Swinburne Building in Albany.

“This would not only be a boon to the community for the residential, but we’re looking to do a brew pub with a group that would have their brewery operations in the back on the lower section, with a patio that faces the Fish Creek. That section is very picturesque. We’re also looking to build an amphitheater for outdoor concerts in the warmer weather,” Regan said. 

“We worked very hard to come up with something that’s not just a residential use, but a mixed-use to try and synergize economic redevelopment and revitalization of the building and the village. We want to make this right, not only as a residential spot but as a destination for people to come and enjoy.”

Following the departure of the building’s last tenant in 2000, its assessed value fell from $3.7 million to about $650,000. A Malta resident purchased the lot in 2003 with designs of renovating it for mixed-use space, but nearly $460,000 in unpaid taxes were accrued before the project could get started. Harmony Group Capital, led by developer Uri Kaufman, subsequently secured the Victory building, and the sale to move forward with the Regan Development project may come as early as June.  Regan says approvals have been secured from the local Planning Board and Saratoga County IDA, and village building permits have been filed.   

“Timewise, right now, things are in a state of flux because of the state budget – we’re using a fair amount of state resources here – and because of COVID; costs for things like lumber and metal have gone up substantially, so we’re sort of waiting in a queue and hoping things can move forward for a potential June closing,” he said. “If not June, then we’re hopeful for a year-end closing. So, this is going to happen. Everything is in place.” 

Construction would start as soon as a scheduled closing date is secured. The construction process is anticipated to take about two years, Regan said. 

“We’re very pleased with the relationship we have with the village, with the town, with the county and with the state. Everybody’s coming together to make this happen. It’s just a matter of waiting COVID out – and then hit the ground running.”