SARATOGA SPRINGS — The City Council this week unanimously approved the creation of a Parking Violations Bureau as a more efficient method of adjudicating tickets issued for parking infractions. The new bureau will decide parking infraction charges prior to trial.

How it will work: anyone charged with a certain type of specific parking infractions can submit documentation or a signed and written explanation to the staff of the Bureau requesting charges be reduced or dismissed.

Assistant City Attorney Tony Izzo was named as the person to make a formal judgment or decision regarding a disputed matter at the Parking Violations Bureau. Additionally, three current employees of the city’s department of public safety will be assigned to conduct the new bureau’s work, so no additional city costs are anticipated.  

The specified violations are as follows:  

a. Parking in handicapped zone – must submit proof of a valid handicap parking tag or permit.

b. Unregistered motor vehicle – must provide photo of new valid registration or temporary registration affixed to window within 72 hours of the issuance of the ticket.

c. Failure to display current registration – must provide photo of new valid registration or temporary registration affixed to window within 72 hours of the issuance of the ticket.

d. Uninspected motor vehicle – must provide documentation that the vehicle has been inspected within 72 hours of the issuance of the ticket.

 e. Obstructing loading zone – must provide documentation that the vehicle was parked or standing temporarily to load and/or unload goods, wares or merchandise. Such documentation may include correspondence from business owners, invoices, or receipts.

f. Vehicle malfunction or breakdown – must provide documentation of services rendered to remove or repair the vehicle.

g. Medical emergency – must provide documentation from health care personnel, medical staff, or other person or persons that a medical emergency existed. A detailed description of the medical emergency is not required.

h. Death of vehicle owner – must submit reasonable proof.

After review, the person charged may either accept or reject the disposition proposed by the adjudicator, and ask for a hearing before the adjudicator, or a trial in Saratoga Springs City Court.

Once more, with feeling. 

Expressing a desire to alter bar closing times in Saratoga Springs, the council took steps this week to attempt to fulfill that goal. And while It is an effort that the city has expressed numerous times in the past, the ultimate outcome this time around may be different. 

“This is something that has been debated in the city for at least 10 years and it’s been difficult to get Saratoga County to move on the issue,” said Supervisor Matt Veitch, who represents the city at the county level, and is also vice chairperson of the county supervisor board. 

“The time is right for this to be discussed with my fellow colleagues on the Board of Supervisors. I believe we will have some momentum on this moving forward in 2025,” he said.

Currently, the New York State Alcoholic Beverage Control Law prohibits sales of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption in Saratoga County between the hours of 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sunday, and between the hours of 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. on any other day. 

Bar closing times can only be changed by a county resolution to the State Liquor Authority, meaning the city on its own cannot affect bar closing times, Veitch clarified. “You need the county support for that.”

How the process works: the city will send is resolution – which it unanimously approved Feb. 4 – to the county. The county Board of Supervisors will consider it, and if the board agrees it will then forward their recommendation to the N.Y.S. Liquor Authority.  The SLA has the ultimate authority to decide the matter, which will affect bar closing times countywide. 

 “I’ve been having discussions with other (county) supervisors and I think there’s an openness now to discuss bar closing times,” Veitch told the City Council during its Feb. 4 meeting. “It will definitely be earlier than (the current) 4 a.m.,” Veitch said. “I’m not sure exactly what the final debate will be at the county level, but it won’t be a blanket 2 a.m. year-round…I think one thing that will remain 4 a.m. is New Year’s Eve, but other than that it will be earlier.” 

“From a public safety perspective, the Saratoga Springs command staff – the police department supports the earlier closing times,” said Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll.  “To reduce the hours with earlier closing times has the potential for us to reduce overtime as well as to keep officers safer,” he said, adding that Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo had also expressed to Coll his support for earlier closing times.        

It is unclear what timeline the measure would take, but the county Law & Finance Committee – which is chaired by Veitch – next meets Feb. 12. That subcommittee typically forwards its recommendations for approval to the county Board of Supervisors. That Board holds its next monthly meeting on Feb. 20.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The City Council this week approved a Local Law that will increase the wages of future councilmembers, starting with the next City Council in 2026. 

Currently the five council members each receive $14,500 annually. Beginning in 2026, the four commissioners will receive $27,456 per year, and city mayor $42,456 annually.

Wages specific to the five council members have not seen an increase for at least the past 15 years. Each of the five seated members is an equal voting member in city government. The general consensus allowing for the higher increase specified in the mayoral seat is that by being the city’s official representative, the position requires an investment of additional time. 

The measure was approved by a 3-2 vote, with current Mayor John Safford and Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll voting against the resolution.    

Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi said the four commissioner salaries were based on a minimum wage formula that works out to about 33 hours per week and also allowed those employed to meet the state’s 1:1 ratio in the N.Y. State retirement system.    

The length of each councilmembers’ term will remain at two years. In November 2025, all four commissioner positions as well as the mayor’s seat will be up for election.