SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs residents will get a chance to participate in advancing potential designs for an “Enhanced Union Avenue” at a public design workshop at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16 on the third floor Music Hall in City Hall. 

“Union Avenue is an important part of our Complete Streets network,” said Ken Grey, chair of the city’s Complete Street Advisory Board, in a statement. “It connects the track and city neighborhoods east of the Northway with downtown, with plans to connect through Congress Park to Railroad Run and the Spa State Park. We’d like the public to help us make that walking and biking connection as safe and as attractive as possible.” 

The workshop is the third public meeting in the past four months seeking citizen input on plans to reimagine this iconic street to slow down cars, make safer pedestrian crossings, add more greenspace and include a protected bike lane, according to a release by the city.  

The workshop will begin with an overview of the city’s 2016 plan to build a connected bike and pedestrian network, a plan that includes a bike lane on Union. A representative from JMT of NY, the city’s engineering and design consultant, will discuss the results of their traffic study. 

After the presentations, CSAB member Mike King will invite the public to break into small groups to evaluate how well potential designs address safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Participants will also consider how potential design changes will affect traffic flow during the racing season and comment on possibilities for more trees and new greenspace. 

“We have a chance to do something exciting on Union Avenue,” said city Mayor Ron Kim. “Making it safe for cyclists and pedestrians to come downtown without using a car is part of the city’s climate mitigation plan. If we can do that while adding more greenspace and trees, it’s a win-win for everybody.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Shelters of Saratoga has announced it is canceling plans to site its shelter on Williams Street. 

“We value your trust in us as a homeless services provider in the greater Saratoga area. After hearing the concerns of the community, we’ve decided not to move forward with a shelter at 5 Williams St.,” the organization posted on its social media pages. 

Plans were underway to site a permanent 24/7 year-round shelter at the soon-to-be-vacated Senior Center on Williams Street. The city of Saratoga Springs announced a comprehensive initiative to address the city’s homelessness last October, during which time the City Council unanimously approved a resolution in favor of the project.

In January, 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. Last Monday, a meeting was held at the Holiday Inn where the shelter proposal met with backlash from parents and community members.

“The proposed city-led shelter proposal is a serious issue for the City’s administration and the Saratoga Springs community as a whole; however, the placement of such a facility near our school is fundamentally flawed,” said Dr. Giovanni Virgiglio Jr., Superintendent Of Schools, Diocese of Albany Catholic Schools, in a statement.  “Asking school parents and administrators — Catholic school parents and administrators at that — to reconcile the proposed location of a low-barrier shelter is not only unfair, it’s unacceptable. When considering the care and concern for both vulnerable populations, the welfare of our children and students must take precedence. Their safety is already our top priority, and we cannot stand for anything, no matter how well-intentioned, that may put their safety in question.”

“Code Blue” shelter and shelter services are provided to the homeless community whenever inclement winter weather temperatures are at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, inclusive of National Weather Service calculations for windchill.

Members of the Saratoga Springs community, motivated to action in the wake of the death of a city woman exposed to a winter’s elements on a December night in 2013, helped initiate a temporary homeless emergency shelter that Christmas Eve at St. Peter’s Parish Center. A series of temporary winter shelters have followed.

Local philanthropic efforts have raised more than $1 million and the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors have additionally expressed both verbal and financial support for the siting of a permanent shelter, but all efforts to site such a location have been rejected by residents or other stakeholders located in those specific communities.

The current lease at a temporary Code Blue shelter located on Adelphi Street runs through April 30 at a cost of $8,000 per month.

According to a statement issued by Shelters of Saratoga (S.O.S.), the organization has “identified a more viable location to operate Code Blue… We will continue to engage our community as our plans progress, and look forward to making an announcement soon,” said Duane Vaughn, executive director for Shelters of Saratoga.

A follow-up statement, released by the marketing wing of Discover Saratoga in care of S.O.S. states: “the plan we proposed to the city was to establish a permanent Code Blue Shelter and resource navigation center for the Williams Street property owned by the City. We have been negotiating in good faith for a long-term lease… however, the conversation began to focus on operating a 365-day, 24-hour per day shelter, including the idea of a low-barrier shelter. We made the effort to explore this idea. There are many implications to this type of shelter, a significant departure from our recommendation, with a wide range of new factors that must be cautiously evaluated. After careful consideration, we chose not to pursue the Williams Street location.”

The statement again re-iterates: “recognizing the imminent need for a Code Blue shelter commitment, we made the difficult decision to seek an alternative solution. We are finalizing a new agreement for a new location, which we will share with you in the very near future.”

A few hours following the initial announcement by S.O.S., city Mayor Ron Kim delivered the mayor’s annual State of the City Address and said, in part, that he will be forming a Task Force on Homelessness with the goal of selecting a permanent site for a shelter and navigation center by this fall.   

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Saratoga Springs City Council meeting Feb. 7 was abruptly adjourned early following a lengthy and an at-times raw public discourse between members of the City Council members of Saratoga BLM.

The regularly scheduled council meeting- which began at 7 p.m., was adjourned at 8:02 and resumed at 8:13, before eventually adjourning for the night at 8:38. 

Both – members of the City Council and members of Saratoga BLM, committed to staging a public meeting with one another. The date of that meeting and the room where the meeting is to be held need to be confirmed, as well as ample time given for public notice. As such, a date was not immediately available regarding the staging of that meeting. 

Due to the early adjournment, no agenda items anticipated to be heard during the regularly scheduled meeting took place. These items included all five city department and both supervisor reports, as well as an anticipated discussion under the mayor’s agenda titled “Homeless in Saratoga.” 

It is anticipated a public meeting regarding the items not addressed on Feb. 7 will be scheduled prior to the City Council’s next regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 21.     

SARATOGA COUNTY — Saratoga County Sheriff Michael H. Zurlo announced this week that Saratoga County police agencies will participate in special efforts to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving. 

The statewide STOP-DWI high visibility engagement campaign efforts will run through Feb. 13.

According to a statement issued by the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, “the Super Bowl is America’s most watched national sporting event and Super Bowl Weekend is historically a deadly period for impaired driving. In a combined effort to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives law enforcement officers across New York State and STOP-DWI programs will be participating in special engagement efforts.” 

“Drunk and drugged driving is completely and totally preventable – a little advanced planning is all it takes,” Sheriff Zurlo said. “If you’re going to drink or use drugs at all, have a sober ride ready. No excuses.”

Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving. 

Download the mobile app – “Have a Plan” and there will always be a way to find a safe ride home www.stopdwi.org/mobileapp. 

BALLSTON SPA — Lynda Bryan – town clerk and municipal historian at Halfmoon, and Karen James – former Wilton town historian, have joined the Saratoga County History Center Board of Trustees.

The Saratoga County History Center is celebrating its 60th anniversary and is committed to explaining that a greater Saratoga starts by understanding its history.  

As part of this commitment, the History Center is installing an immersive exhibition on the history of Saratoga County that will open in spring 2023.  Learn more about the Saratoga County History Center and program updates at www.brooksidemuseum.org.

SARATOGA COUNTY —Congressman Paul Tonko, who represents all of Saratoga County in the 20th Congressional District, has again been selected to serve on key House subcommittees focused on energy and environmental issues. 

Anchored by his role as Ranking Member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Minerals, Tonko will also serve on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security, and Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations. 

“Last Congress, we came together to advance once-in-a-lifetime climate legislation that will ignite our global leadership in clean energy, create good paying jobs, and tackle the growing threat of climate change,” Tonko said, in a statement. “I was proud to help lead this charge during my time as Chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change. Our work to build a stronger, more resilient, and more prosperous clean energy economy is far from over, and I am eager to get to work building solutions that protect our environment, public health and communities, and that ensure a brighter future for generations of Americans to come.”

Formerly titled the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Minerals has jurisdiction over many of the nation’s most important environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. It played a crucial role in developing and enacting provisions affecting the Environmental Protect Agency in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Saratoga Springs 

The Saratoga Springs City Council will stage their regular meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7 at City Hall. 

The Saratoga Springs Zoning Board of Appeals will stage their meeting 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6 at City Hall. Agenda items are as follows: 

• Procedural: 172 Caroline Final Subdivision – Consideration of Coordinated SEQRA Review and advisory opinion from the Planning Board for a proposed two-lot subdivision.

• New Business: 116 White St – Area Variance to permit a two-story addition and replacement of the stone foundation; 112 Fifth – Area variance to permit the construction of a garage addition and new roof over existing deck.

• Continued Business: Area Variance to permit addition, extension, renovation or construction at 6 Seward; 10A Nelson Ave.; 140 West Circular; 122 Madison; 83 Nelson; 28 North Lane-96 Union; 110-114 Nelson; 139 State St.   

The Complete Streets Advisory Board will hold its meeting 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9 at City Hall. 

Web: Saratoga-springs.org. 

Saratoga County 

Tuesday, Feb. 7: Veterans’ Affairs (2 p.m.); Real Property Tax (2:30 p.m.); Health & Human Services (3 p.m.); Public Works (3:30 p.m.); Buildings & Grounds (4 p.m.). 

Wednesday, Feb. 8: Legislative & Government Affairs (2 p.m.); Public Safety (2:30 p.m.); Human Resources & Insurance (3 p.m.); Economic Development (3:30 p.m.); Trails & Open Space (4 p.m.). 

All meetings at Saratoga County municipal complex in Ballston Spa, 40 McMaster St. Phone: 518-885-2213. Web: SaratogaCountyNY.gov.  

BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County Career Center in conjunction with the Greater Capital Region Career Centers will hold the following free virtual career workshops in February:

February 8 at 10 a.m.: Goal Setting. This workshop explores how goal setting works, why goals are important, and provides helpful resources to get you started to reach your dreams. Facilitated by Washington and Albany.

February 14 at 10:30 a.m.: Interview Preparation. Learn how to articulate your strengths, what questions to expect, how to address difficult topics, and ace the interviewing process. Facilitated by Schenectady.

February 16 at 11 a.m.: Completing Job Applications. Statistics show approximately 50% of mid-sized companies and almost all large corporations use an applicant tracking system to screen candidates for job opportunities. Learn how to prepare your online application to get the most visibility from hiring managers. Facilitated by Warren and Washington.

February 23 at 1:30 p.m.: Social Media. Your social media presence can make or break your ability to find a job. Learn how to use social media to your advantage in searching for a job and marketing yourself to land the job or career you’ve always wanted. Facilitated by Schenectady.

February 28 at 11 a.m.: Overcoming Barriers. Join an informal discussion about how to overcome potential stumbling blocks to finding a job. Whether you’re facing transportation needs, childcare needs, prior justice system involvement, inexperience, health concerns or more, this workshop will provide you with resources and strategies to help you meet your goals. Facilitated by Saratoga and Fulton-Montgomery-Schoharie.

Registration is required for all workshops. Visit thejoblink.org/calendar/ to register or call the Saratoga County Career Center at 518-884-4170 for more information. The workshops are offered as part of the Saratoga County Career Center’s WorkPays! workforce education campaign.