SARATOGA SPRINGS — Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan presented the first public glimpse of the city’s proposed 2022 budget this week. 

“The 2022 Comprehensive Budget is driven by an economic recovery that shows improvement, as well as continued unpredictability,” Madigan explained of projected $54 million in revenue in 2022. 

“We will have a new economy, new outlook, new ideas – and a new administration,” said Madigan who is not running for re-election in November. At least four of the five positions up for vote in November will have newly positioned council members. “The budget is key to the city’s continued economic restoration and a visionary rebuild from the pandemic economy of 2020-2021.” 

The 2022 proposed General Operating budget totals $54 million, compared to 2021 ($46.2 million with mid-year 2021 adopted amendments of $49.7M), $48.7 million in 2020, and $47.1 million in 2019. Revenue projections supporting the increase include: VLT Aid, State Aid, Federal American Rescue Act, Sales Tax, Mortgage Tax, Ambulance Transport Charges, and Building Permits, Planning Board and Zoning Board fees.

Sales Tax projections are $14.9 million – a $5.4 million increase over the adopted 2021 estimates. There will be no increase in property tax. 

Costs in 2022 will include a substantial increase in staffing – “numerous replacements and replenishments that were cut or delayed due to the pandemic,” Madigan said.  The funding will lead the way for the hire of three new full-time police officers, four new full-time firefighters, a new assistant building inspector and a sufficiently staffed city IT department, among others. 

Moving forward, budget workshops will be scheduled at various times to accommodate department and taxpayer participation, with a Public Comment period at each workshop. Two public hearings will also be held – the first at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, prior to the next scheduled meeting of the City Council. 

The 2022 Comprehensive Budget proposal and materials may be viewed on the city’s website at www.saratoga-springs.org 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A public hearing is scheduled to take place Tuesday, Oct. 19 regarding a proposal that calls for the creation and specifies the functions and authority of a five-member citizen board to act as a liaison between the community and the Police Department. 

A draft of the proposal calls for the five members of the Community Police Board, or CPB, to be chosen “to represent a range of culturally and economically diverse experiences and views,” with all members able to “objectively, dispassionately, and fairly” represent the community. 

Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton brought the draft proposal to the City Council during its meeting in the Music Hall at City Hall Oct. 5.

The CPB will be tasked with the authority to perform a series of advisory functions. These include, among others: recommending amendments to the current rules, bylaws, policies and regulations; developing procedures for the filing, investigation, and resolution of formal written complaints related to interactions with an officer; reviewing records held by the Police Department that are reasonably necessary to conduct a review of a submitted complaint. Subsequent to that review, the board will have the ability to recommend further action be taken by the Chief of Police or the Commissioner of Public Safety to resolve the complaint.

According to the draft, each of the five City Council members will be asked to propose one person each for appointment to the board – with appointment approved by a majority of the council.  The proposal prohibits elected or appointed officials, as well as city employees from being on the board and stipulates all members will serve without compensation and be subject to both an initial background check and continuing education and training. All appointees must have been city residents for at least three years. 

City Mayor Meg Kelly raised objections to the proposed ordinance, “I’m not sure this reflects what the Task Force is looking for,” Kelly said, adding that it was “vague” and “troublesome.”  “This is empty legislation as I see it,” she said. 

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A public hearing regarding the proposed ordinance is scheduled to be held at the next City Council meeting, Oct. 19. 

On a separate agenda, Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan announced she is crafting a plan to assist in the funding of a Civilian Review Board, as per recommendations adopted previously by the City Council. “These funds will be available in the 2022 budget (and) I will be bringing forth more information about that as we craft these assignments.”  At its last meeting, Jason Golub – a member of an independent city advisory committee tasked with studying police reform – told the council securing the support and involvement of police and political leaders, ensuring the board is comprised of credible and impartial members, and setting appropriate funding that would secure budgetary needs over multiple years would be critical in forming a successful board.     

During this week’s meeting, on Oct. 5, a series of speakers addressed the council during the public comment period and raised concerns regarding public’s right to free protest in connection with the recent arrests of Saratoga Black Lives Matter activists and leveled allegations of racist practices among some members of the public safety department. The catalyst of both – the formation of Saratoga Black Lives Matter, and public calls for a citizen review board – was the death of Darryl Mount, Jr. in 2014. 

In late summer 2013 Darryl Mount, a 21-year-old biracial man, suffered injuries that left him in a coma after fleeing police on Caroline Street and allegedly falling off a scaffolding behind The Washington building, which was then under construction. Mount died eight-and-a-half months later.  Mount’s family subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit and city Police Chief Greg Veitch later came under public scrutiny following reports that the public safety department never conducted an internal probe into police actions, after earlier claiming there was one. 

This week, attorney John Aspland, who is representing the city in the Darryl Mount lawsuit, provided an events timeline regarding the case during the council meeting. 

“The purpose of tonight is to give a recitation of the series of events that have occurred during litigation. It’s not a discussion of the merits (or particulars) of the case. It’s just simply for informational purposes,” Aspland said. 

Aspland recited email communications between then-city Police Chief Greg Veitch and then-Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy initiated Sept. 1, 2013, through the depositions of more than a half-dozen officers of the Saratoga Springs Police Department in the spring of 2017, up to the further deposition of city police department staff that was conducted this past August. 

“The time frame for a decision to be issued is really within the discretion of the court based on how much volume of work the court encounters at the time the motion is made,” Aspland said. “I reasonably anticipate there will be an appeal regardless of who wins, and a trial date is probably not reasonably anticipated until late 2022 or the early part of 2023.” 

A “Case litigation Timeline” has been posted on the city’s website alongside, audio and video files related to the matter, and may be viewed by going to: www.saratoga-springs.org/2408/Darryl-Mount-Information 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A pair of applications under consideration by the city’s Design Review Commission call for the demolition of two South Broadway motel properties and the subsequent development of multi-family developments to be constructed in the location place.    

The property at 120 South Broadway consists of a 64-room motel that was built in 1954. The site is currently comprised of three motel buildings and a separate building that serves as a spa with an outdoor pool. The proposed project seeks the demolition of the aging structures and the development of 64 townhouse units within four buildings, to be centered by a green area designated as park space.   

The second property sits approximately one-third of a mile north of the 120 South Broadway property, just north of Lincoln Avenue. It is located at 189 South Broadway, and currently houses a 32-room motel that was built in 1972. 

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Overall, this property consists of four parcels and a portion of McDonald Alley. It currently sites two motel buildings and two single-family homes. The two single-family homes to the west of the development will remain. The balance of land is proposed for re-development that will include 20 multifamily residential units in a single four-story building.   

Both the 120 South Broadway and 189 South Broadway parcels were purchased five years ago by developer Stephen Ethier, who had previously been involved in multiple Saratoga Springs projects, including work at 287-289 and 166-168 Jefferson St., and 316-318 Ballston Avenue, among others.

Applications for both projects are under consideration by the city’s Design Review Commission for an Architectural Review to determine the historic and architectural significance of the existing motel structures and possible review of demolition.

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WASHINGTON, DC — Nearly 20 schools across the Capital Region will be receiving just over $6 million to help expand and improve internet access for students and teachers, and applications for second round of funding has just opened, Congressman Paul Tonko announced this week. 

The funding is being administered by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, established under the American Rescue Plan to help schools and libraries update services for remote learning during the pandemic. Tonko, D-Amsterdam, voted in support of the plan, and represents the 20th Congressional District, which includes all of Albany and Schenectady Counties and parts of Montgomery, Rensselaer and Saratoga Counties.

This first round of funding will deliver more than $1.2 billion to schools and libraries that serve more than 3.6 million students. 

“Throughout this COVID-19 crisis we have heard about the hardships millions of Americans are facing without access to broadband,” Congressman Tonko said, in a statement. “We have heard from students unable to connect to their classes and submit assignments, and from educators who have to drive to parking lots with public Wi-Fi and teach from their cars. For years I have pushed to expand and improve internet access to deliver this critical resource to underserved and unserved communities, and I was successful in my fight to include additional support for broadband as part of our American Rescue Plan legislation. I am delighted that this needed funding is being delivered to our Capital Region and beyond.”

The largest area recipient of the first round of funding is the Albany Central School District, which will receive just over $1.3 million. 

Applications for a second round of funding opened Sept. 28 and will close on Oct. 13. This will provide funding for eligible equipment and services received or delivered between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. The funding is available for the purchase of laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connections for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons in need, and is available to support off-campus learning, such as homework and virtual learning as schools continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

SARATOGA – Management of the Saratoga Surrender Site has been transferred to the National Park Service (NPS) as part of the Saratoga National Historical Park, the Open Space Institute announced last week. 

The property includes the site where the British Army surrendered during the 1777 Battle of Saratoga, an event that is considered the turning point in the American Revolutionary War, and is located in the town of Saratoga, a half-mile south of Schuylerville on U.S. Route 4. The site is open to visitors from dawn to dusk throughout the year.

OSI maintains ownership of the nearly 19-acre Saratoga Surrender Site. The agreement grants the NPS management control of the property, which will continue to be accessible for public use, education, and enjoyment. 

The Open Space Institute protects scenic, natural, and historic landscapes to provide public enjoyment, conserve habitat and working lands, and sustain communities. Founded in 1974 to protect significant landscapes in New York State, OSI has been a partner in the protection of nearly 2.3 million acres in North America.

With more people gathering this fall and reports of overburdened hospitals from COVID-19’s delta variant, the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association are urging individuals over six months old to get their annual flu shot, and for anyone who is eligible, to get the COVID-19 vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccines can be given in the same visit.

COVID-19 precautions kept the last flu (influenza) season mild, but leading health experts warn that the 2021-2022 flu season may begin early and could be severe. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, preventing influenza—which, with pneumonia, is regularly in the top 10 causes of death in the U.S.—is even more important to protect the health of people who are particularly vulnerable and to reduce the burden on U.S. hospitals, according to a news release issued by the American Heart Association this week. 

Free, downloadable information on flu, COVID-19 and chronic health conditions are also available through the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Alliance to End Homelessness, a coalition of dozens of this region’s non-profit human service agencies, is sponsoring a live presentation by author Linda Gibbs at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8 at Caffe Lena. 

Gibbs’ recently published book, “How Ten Global Cities Take on Homelessness, Innovations that Work,” is informative, authoritative and comprehensive.  She served as New York City’s Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services under Mayor Michael Bloomberg from 2005 to 2013 and is currently a consultant with the non-profit Bloomberg Associates.   

To attend and/or participate in the event, make a reservation at www.caffelena.org. The event will also be livestreamed via the Caffe’s digital channel. 

Copies of Gibbs’s book will be available for sale at the Caffe or may be ordered through Northshire Bookstore Saratoga. 

The Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness (a subset of the Saratoga-North Country Continuum of Care) is an inclusive collaborative effort committed to ending homelessness in Saratoga County by increasing the level and coordination of housing and support services so that the cycle of homelessness is not perpetuated.

ALBANY — Capital Region NY Wild Ones has formed a local chapter of the Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes organization. The focus of the organization is to promote using native plants in landscapes to preserve biodiversity in the Capital District area, with emphasis on the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communities. 

Counties included in the new chapter include Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie. 

Wild Ones is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, and is inviting all interested people to become members. Business meetings will be held quarterly, with events to be held monthly. 

The first Wild Ones presentation event will be held 2 p.m. on Oct. 17. Master Gardener Martie Teumim will give a presentation through Zoom on ‘Gathering Native Plant Seeds from Your Own Backyard.’ The talk is free. Register at mteumim@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. 

For more information contact Carol Quantock at 518-664-3901 or email quantumwoman@gmail.com. For more information on Wild Ones, visit www.wildones.org/about 

ALBANY — Dunkin’ celebrated National Coffee Day (Sept. 29) by donating 300 pounds of coffee and delivering more than $1,000 in gift cards to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. 

“We are excited to celebrate National Coffee Day by contributing to the tremendous efforts of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and supporting their dedicated staff and volunteers,” said Dunkin’ Field Marketing Manager Eric Stensland. “The Food Bank is a vital community organization and we are proud to assist them by donating gift cards and Dunkin’s signature coffee.”

The coffee donation from Dunkin’ will be used to help the Regional Food Bank continue to support local member agencies and the hungry people they serve. Capital Region Dunkin’ franchisees also delivered $1,250 in gift cards to support the dedicated staff and volunteers who help keep the Food Bank running. 

“Dunkin’ is a valued partner in the fight against hunger through donations of product, funds, and volunteer support,” said Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York Chief Operating Officer Nick Pisani. “A warm cup of coffee is a morning staple, and we are proud to provide this donation to our member food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.” 

The Regional Food Bank works to alleviate hunger and prevent food waste by accepting large donations of food from the food industry and distributing those donations to charitable agencies that feed hungry people like food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. The food provided by the Regional Food Bank helps to feed over 350,000 people each month. 

To learn more about Dunkin’, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or subscribe to the Dunkin’ blog to receive notifications at www.news.dunkindonuts.com/blog.