Kaylin Gillis. Photo from a GofundMe account that has been organized to aid with funeral expenses.
SCHUYLERVILLE — A 20-year-old Schuylerville woman was shot and killed by a homeowner in Washington County after the vehicle in which she was a passenger mistakenly pulled into the homeowner’s driveway, according to police. The incident occurred shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday in the town of Hebron.
Kaylin A. Gillis, age 20 of Schuylerville, was pronounced dead at the scene.
She was a passenger in a car with three of her friends. The four had been searching for their friend’s home and mistakenly pulled into the wrong driveway.
“It’s a very rural area with dirt roads. It’s easy to get lost,” Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy said at a press conference staged on April 17.
“They had been looking for their friend’s house, got mistaken and drove up this driveway,” the sheriff said. “While they were leaving the residence, once they had determined they were at the wrong house, the subject came out on his porch, for whatever reason, and fired two shots – one of which struck the vehicle that Kaylin was in… there was clearly no threat from anyone in the vehicle.”
The homeowner, 65-year-old Kevin D. Monahan of Hebron, was charged with murder in the second-degree. Monahan was uncooperative with the subsequent investigation, authorities said. He was eventually taken into custody with the assistance of the New York State Police Special Operation Response Team.
“From all indications, she was an innocent young girl out with friends looking for another friend’s house. I know for a fact that she comes from a very good family. I know them personally. She was a young girl that was taken way too young,” Sheriff Murphy said.
Gillis attended Schuylerville Elementary School in kindergarten and first grade and returned to the district in high school for grades 10-12.
She was a member of the competitive cheerleading team for two seasons, a talented artist, and had hopes and dreams of becoming a veterinarian or marine biologist.
“Kaylin has two younger siblings in the district, who we will surround with our love and support in the coming days, weeks, and months,” according to a statement released by the Schuylerville Central School District. “Our school counselors are also available for our students and staff for support and grief counseling.”
The city of Saratoga Springs this week began their council meeting with a moment of silence to honor of Gillis.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist with funeral expenses at: www.gofundme.com/f/kaylin-gillis
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Saturday, April 29, Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project will hold its 12th TREE TOGA tree planting event.
“This year’s Tree Toga is going to be a huge success, with 38 trees planted,” said Kelsey Trudell, Executive Director of Sustainable Saratoga, in a statement. “We’re still looking for volunteers to plant large-growing, native shade trees at locations throughout the city. Join us on April 29 to help us leave a green legacy for future generations in Saratoga Springs.”
Volunteer Tree Planters will check in at Pitney Meadows Community Farm at 9:30 a.m. on April 29 and get a lesson in tree planting before heading off in small teams to their assigned planting locations across the city. Once the trees are in the ground, the Tree Host homeowners and other volunteers provide the care that is critical to tree survival and the success of Sustainable Saratoga’s mission to preserve and expand Saratoga’s urban forest.
To get involved in the family-friendly community event, sign up at sustainablesaratoga.org/tree-toga/
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Need a raised bed to garden in? Saratoga Springs Community Garden at Wesley has planting beds that folks from the Saratoga community can come to garden in the space.
Make new friends in the garden and at monthly socials, grow healthy organic food and enjoy beautiful flowers.
If you are interested in applying for gardening space, please contact Susan Bokan for an application at susanbokan@gmail.com or 518-221-8142. For more information visit thewesleycommunity.org/about-wesley/extended-neighborhood/community-garden/
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The City of Saratoga Springs announced its upcoming Earth Day celebration on April 22 will include a call to action for local citizens to volunteer and help pick up garbage and litter from the front of their homes and the right-of-way areas, in honor of the 25th Anniversary of the “Keep America Beautiful” movement.
The event will culminate in a community cleanup event in Congress Park from noon to 2 p.m.
Commissioner of Accounts Dillon Moran and Commissioner of Public Works Jason Golub will be in attendance to support the event.
“Earth Day is an important opportunity to raise awareness about the critical need to protect our environment,” said Moran, in a statement. “By volunteering to pick up litter and garbage from our neighborhoods and public space, we can all do our part to create a cleaner and more sustainable future for our community.”
Bonacio Construction and Stewart’s Shops were recognized by Golub for their donation of time and resources to help clean downtown public parking garages, and Saratoga County Supervisor Matt Veitch added his appreciation for the Southwest Neighborhood Association’s commitment to the cause.
Additional information about this event will be posted at www.saratoga-springs.org and www.facebook.com/ssnygov.
Final clean-up at Saratoga Code Blue emergency homeless shelter on Adelphi Street, April 2023. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The building is mostly vacant now on Adelphi Street. Gone are those who sought sanctuary from the elements of winter as well as those who committed their time and efforts to provide care at the space that has served as a Code Blue emergency homeless shelter. The tally for the November to April season: 160 nights open, 6,800 meals served.
The Code Blue shelter – which opens when the temperature dips below 32 degrees Fahrenheit – has most recently been located just off South Broadway as a 61-bed facility on Adelphi Street. On April 30, the current lease on the Adelphi Street space will expire – it is already listed with realtors as a commercial spot for lease – leaving the city, for the time being, without a venue to point to as a shelter for next winter’s season.
Earlier this year, Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim initiated the formation of a Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness. The group is tasked with presenting a proposal for a shelter location to the council by early summer.
“By our July 6 (council) meeting, we’re asking them to report back. I think they’re on schedule and should be able to complete their mission. I’ve been incredibly impressed by their discussions. They’ve been thoughtful, thought-provoking and also respectful. They’ve sort of come to the conclusion that we need a 24-hour shelter,” said city Mayor Ron Kim.
“By hook-or-crook we’re going to have to offer something. I hope we can move quickly, but that’s all about location and agency. What I think the Homelessness Task Force will be able to do is give is responses to the three questions we’ve asked: what do we need? Where could it be, and who will provide it?” Kim said. “It’s going to then be up to the City Council when we get those recommendations in early July to move the ball forward. So, we’ll have our work cut out for us.”
Since late 2013, St. Peter’s Parish Center, the Salvation Army building, the Soul Saving Station Church and the “overflow” Presbyterian New England Congregational Church have all served as a regional emergency winter shelter at one time or another. Adelphi Street was first activated in 2020. All have been on a temporary basis. Each time a permanent venue was thought to be found, loud opposition from those with interests near the proposed siting spot has negated its coming to fruition.
The most recent future-looking plans eyed a permanent 24/7 year-round shelter at the soon-to-be-vacated Senior Center on Williams Street. Last October, the City Council unanimously approved a resolution in favor of the project at the Williams Street property which the city owns. Shortly afterwards, however, some public opposition was raised and Shelters of Saratoga – which co-operates the Code Blue shelter with Saratoga County and The NYS Office of Temporary Disability and Assistance – announced it was canceling its plans to site a permanent center on Williams Street.
The building continues to serve as the Saratoga Senior Center for now. Relocation will occur when a new senior center structure on West Avenue becomes operational this summer, Saratoga Senior Center Executive Director Lois Celeste said.
There has been no determination yet made about what may become of the city owned site on Williams Street when it becomes vacant.
“There are no plans whatsoever,” said Mayor Kim, adding that plans to site a shelter there are not completely off the table. “On the other hand, if the (Homelessness) Task Force sees another possibility, it could be something that we use to rent, for other purposes. Another possibility is that it could help us fund something in another location. So, nothing is firm about that. But in July that will be a major thing for the City Council to address once we get the recommendations.”
Discussions by the task force include whether an outside agency would be involved to provide services (such as Shelters of Saratoga had been in the past), the geographic area where a potential shelter would best be sited, whether it would have 24/7 capabilities, and specifics regarding whether the shelter be of a low-barrier status. The definition of a “low barrier shelter” and of a “navigation center” vary from state-to-state and having a “low barrier” points to things such as potentially eliminating curfews and not requiring background checks, sobriety or mandatory treatment.
“Those are open questions,” Kim said. “That’s one of those things they’re still debating. One of the viewpoints is: maybe we should have an aspiration goal of low-barrier with the very particular details of that left to an agency. On the other hand, some have said maybe we should do more of the defining. So, I don’t think they’ve reached that (consensus) yet,” Kim said.
Kim said he would prefer siting a permanent shelter rather than continuing along the path of having a series of temporary rentals as has been the case for nearly a decade. “I think we need to do this, but I don’t know in the end where it will land.”
Funding is also a key piece.
“The funding comes through the state and passes through the county, so the county has a huge funding role in this,” Kim said. “The county, I hope and expect, will play a huge role in this; it’s more of a partnership because the city has become the central place where you need a homeless shelter. I don’t know of any other parts of Saratoga County where this has become a huge need.”
In July 2022, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement for the short-term lease – at $8,000 per month – of the Adelphi Street venue to be used as a “Code Blue” emergency homeless shelter thru April 30, 2023.
“The county has not been presented yet with any plans to-date for a year-round shelter,” Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chair Theodore Kusnierz said when asked about the future status of a shelter in Saratoga Springs. “We will entertain any proposal that is provided to us.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The City Council by a 4-1 vote on April 18, approved a resolution that bans no-knock warrants except “in the most extreme circumstances.”
“I think it’s really important sometimes to take a stand on some things,” said city Mayor Ron Kim. “And this is one of them.”
An Executive Order issued in June 2020 by then-N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo required local governments to perform a comprehensive review of its existing police force deployments, strategies, policies, procedures, practices and develop a plan for improvement with community input.
The Saratoga Springs Police Reform Task Force was initiated two months later and tasked with developing recommendations along with the police chief and the city attorney to present to the City Council. Portions of the subsequent “Reinvention Plan: Toward a Community-Centered Justice Initiative” was accepted by the previous council in March 2021, although it refrained from action regarding the plan’s recommendation to ban non-knock search warrants.
“This City Council’s goal is to make our community safer and protect the rights and safety of all residents, including black residents who have historically experienced systemic racism,” read the resolution presented by the council this week. “Restrictions on no-knock search warrants will enhance safety for both the citizens of Saratoga Springs and the law enforcement officers who protect them.”
“Restrictions” on no-knock search warrants was a late-added revision, replacing an earlier version which stated intent for an outright “ban.” The revised version added a handful of new paragraphs and revisions and was read aloud prior to the resolution vote, but not available for public viewing on the city’s website. The updated resolution, still titled as a “ban,” allowed for exceptions “in the most extreme circumstances.”
“This restricts no-knock warrants. There is still the extreme circumstance where the police can in fact ask a judge for a no-knock warrant, so it does not remove no-knock warrants from law,” said DPW Commissioner Jason Golub, who served as co-chair of Saratoga’s Police Reform Task Force prior to his appointment, and subsequent election, to the council.
“It simply says: we are restricting them to the most extreme circumstances where they might be required. “The ask by Gov. Cuomo was for every city to reimagine police reform…I think that is reimagining what we can do to protect our community, and that’s where we need to be going,” Golub said.
The issues were discussed and debated by the city Police Reform Task Force for about nine months Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran reminded those at the council meeting, during which a great majority of those making public comments voiced their support for the city’s adoption of the resolution.
“There was a comment earlier today that there hadn’t been enough community conversation. I just don’t think that’s true,” Moran said. “The recommendation has been out there for a while and there has been plenty of opportunity for people to come forward, voice their support for – as we’ve heard this evening – and folks to use their voice against.”
At the council table, Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi verbally supplied data that showcased: dozens of deaths involving civilians and police had occurred in the U.S. over a six-year period during no-knock raids; funds paid by municipalities due to resulting lawsuits, and statistics that highlighted a high percentage of no-knock warrants executed upon blacks and Hispanics indicating that “race is clearly an issue.”
“No-knock warrants have been banned in Florida – which I don’t think anyone would think is a liberal state – they have been banned in Virginia, which has a Republican governor, and in Oregon,” Sanghvi said. “They don’t make sense for the safety and security of our police or our community, and it doesn’t make sense financially either for our local government.”
The New York State Legislature is considering a bill that would sharply limit the use of no-knock warrants.
Public Safety Commissioner James Montagnino cast the lone council vote opposed to the resolution, citing procedural issues – including that the revised measure was not available to the public – as well as current state law. “Unless and until either our legislature amends article 690 (Search Warrants) or we go through the proper process to amend the City Charter, I don’t think this resolution should be adopted.”
Montagnino said as best he could discern, while “a number of” no-knock warrants were issued by city judges, most of those city police opted to execute as standard announce warrants. “As best as we can tell, one warrant was executed as a no-knock warrant in the city of Saratoga Springs, about 7 years ago… so the process itself is extremely rare.”
The condition providing exception to the ban reads as follows: SSPD will only initiate no-knock warrants in the most extreme circumstances where officers detail specific facts in the search warrant application that explain why giving notice would create an imminent danger to a person’s life.
BALLSTON SPA — There are 21 municipalities – 19 towns and 2 cities – represented at the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. Every municipality is represented by one supervisor, except for the larger populations of Clifton Park and Saratoga Springs which are each represented by two.
The Board of Supervisors meets monthly – typically at 4 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month – to vote on proposals. This year’s annual budget is about $381 million – or a spending plan that works out to more than $1 million per day, every day of the year, including weekends and holidays.
The measures, proposals, budgets and resolutions upon which the Board of Supervisors votes typically come from the county’s Standing Committees.
There are 12 Standing Committees, each with 5 to 7 members appointed by that year’s county chairperson. Some of the Standing Committees include: Economic Development, Law & Finance, Health & Human Services, and Public Safety.
In 2023, all 23 County Supervisors were appointed to at least one Standing Committee, with some appointed to multiple committees. In total, the 23 supervisors were appointed to 74 seats on the 12 Standing Committees.
The Town of Day is Saratoga County’s least populated municipality with a population of just over 800. The Day Supervisor was appointed to 4 Standing Committee seats.
By comparison, Saratoga Springs is the second most populated municipality in the county with about 28,500 residents, about 35 times more the number than Day. The two Saratoga Springs supervisors were appointed to a total of 6 Standing Committee seats.
Some other municipalities with less than 5,000 residents, and those with more than 20,000 residents, and the number of seats appointed to on the Standing Committees: Edinburg –1,333 population/ 3 seats; Hadley – 1,976 population/ 3 seats; Providence – 2,075 population/ 3 seats; Galway – 3,525 population / 3 seats; Charlton – 4,328 population/ 5 seats. Halfmoon – 25,662 population/ 4 seats; Clifton Park – 38,029 population/ 9 seats.
Population numbers by Saratoga County municipality and revised “weighted vote” per supervisor figures, as presented by County Administration at March 2022 Law & Finance Committee meeting.
BALLSTON SPA — Gordon Boyd launched his campaign this week as Democratic Party and Working Families Party nominee for County Supervisor from Saratoga Springs.
Two supervisor seats representing the city at the county level are up for vote in November. Current Supervisor Matt Veitch, a Republican, and former city Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan, a Democrat, both announced earlier that they will seek to occupy one of the two city supervisor seats in this fall’s election.
Boyd said public safety, fair housing and increased city representation at the county level are among his priorities.
“Getting more democracy in place is a way to bring out better outcomes,” said Boyd, publicly launching his campaign April 12 in front of the county Board of Elections building in Ballston Spa.
“One of the challenges we have is that Saratoga Springs has about 30,000 people. We have two supervisors, and they are on 6 positions on county Standing Committees. Now there is another group of 30,000 people who are represented by nine supervisors holding 28 positions on the Standing Committees, so, 6 versus 28. For an equal number of people,” said Boyd, who is advocating for a more population-aligned restructuring of how the decision-makers are appointed to the Board of Supervisors’ important Standing Committees. Members are currently appointed by the Board chair.
“My proposal would be to change the rules of the board as a first step and to have better representation for the larger population municipalities that is more in proportion to the number of taxpayers and people they represent,” Boyd said. “The population differential penalizes the larger municipalities, especially Saratoga Springs which probably generates 18-20% of the county’s revenue. If I were representing Clifton Park, Malta, Milton, Wilton, Moreau – any of the Northway corridor towns – I would want greater representation for my constituents as well, so it’s not just Saratoga Springs that’s being penalized.”
Boyd also raised issues around housing needs. “Our county’s housing prices and rents make it difficult for working families and individuals to find affordable homes.” Boyd’s solution: pushing for the county to educate its municipalities about zoning law reforms that could increase the overall housing supply, “make short-term rental owners pay their fair share of taxes,” and increase funding for supportive and transitional housing for those in need.
Boyd is also advocating for a new measure which he calls a “Drunk With Guns prohibition,” born in the aftermath of last November’s gunfight incident in Saratoga Springs. The measure would see the county adopt a Local Law making it a misdemeanor punishable by jail and fines to be intoxicated while possessing a firearm.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — New York State Park Police will conduct a simulated training exercise focusing on a mass casualty response on April 30, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). The training will focus on coordination and emergency response during several simulated scenarios envisioning an incident involving injuries to a large number of concertgoers at the venue.
The public should be advised that a noticeable increase in police presence will be visible throughout the exercises near SPAC inside Saratoga Spa State Park which begin on April 30 at 8 a.m. ending at 12 p.m.
The exercise will involve personnel from Park Police, New York State Police, Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, Saratoga Springs City Police and Fire Departments, local EMS Agencies as well as operations staff from Saratoga Spa State Park, Live Nation and SPAC. Additionally, Saratoga Hospital, Albany Medical Center and their regional partners will concurrently be exercising how the simulated event will affect their emergency plans.
The area around SPAC will be closed to the public. All area traffic will be alerted to the exercises at all entry points into the park. Weapons used during training exercises are incapable of firing a live duty round.
Park Police are seeking volunteers to portray concertgoers from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers should provide name, phone and email to contact information. Volunteers will need to provide a signed volunteer service agreement at the time of service. A copy is available at: parks.ny.gov/documents/inside-our-agency/PublicDocuments/PermitsVolunteerServiceAgreeme ntEnglish.pdf.
Send completed volunteer agreements and questions concerning volunteers to ParksEmergencyMgmt-Exercises@parks.ny.gov. Refreshments will be available.
Roadwork is underway on Union Avenue adjacent to Saratoga Race Course. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on April 5 that work is getting underway on a $5.7 million project to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety along Union Avenue in the City of Saratoga Springs.
“Expanding bicycle and pedestrian access is an essential part of our commitment to invest in infrastructure that reconnects communities and provides new opportunities for recreation, tourism and economic growth,” Hochul said in a statement. “This Complete Streets project in Saratoga Springs will add to the charm of this historic upstate city and make it easier for residents and visitors to explore all that it has to offer without getting in their cars.”
The project was planned and designed to fulfill the goals of the New York State Department of Transportation’s “Complete Streets” initiative to consider safe, convenient access and mobility for roadway users of all ages and abilities.
Last August, the governor designated Union Avenue as “Marylou Whitney Way.”
As part of the project, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) will install a new sidewalk compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act on the north side of Union Avenue to connect Polk Avenue and the New York Racing Association Gate 16 with East Avenue. Five-foot-wide bike lanes will be painted in both directions between East Avenue and Henning Road.
An approximately three-mile stretch of Union Avenue between East Avenue and the bridge over Saratoga Lake will be surfaced and new drainage structures will be added between East Avenue and Henning Road to improve storm water runoff. Westbound Union Avenue will be reduced to one lane during construction; however, no work will be allowed to take place during the summer racing season. The remainder of the work will resume after Labor Day. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by June 2024.
