City Votes Down 2 AM Bar Closing Time; Tables Salary Increase for Deputy Commissioners
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A Public Hearing on a proposed amendment that threatened to revoke the permits of bars and cabarets should their patrons become engaged in any criminal offense after 2 a.m. was staged immediately prior to the City Council’s Dec. 6 meeting. The Public Hearing, nearly one-hour long, contained many voices both in support of, and in opposition to the proposed amendment.
The council ultimately voted down the proposal 3-2 with Mayor Ron Kim and Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino in favor of the measure, and Commissioners Jason Golub, Dillon Moran, and Minita Sanghvi voting against it.
Council members agreed they will continue to seek methods to alter the city’s 4 a.m. bar closing time – the preferred time appears to be 2 a.m. – to address late night/early morning public safety concerns, particularly during weekends. City officials expressed the desire to approach the county Board of Supervisors with their earlier closing request, even as previous attempts by prior councils in this manner had proved unsuccessful. The county board holds its final meeting of the calendar year at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at the county complex in Ballston Spa.
Additionally, during its four-hour full meeting this week, the council agreed to table a vote that proposed salary increases for the city’s five deputy commissioners. It is anticipated that discussion will continue at the next council Tuesday night on Dec. 20 at Saratoga Springs City Hall.
The city also agreed to send up to two council members, supporting deputy commissioners, the city attorney, and police department leadership to meet with county District Attorney Karen Heggen regarding a Temporary Restraining Order requested by the district attorney, which effectively silenced councilmembers from publicly discussing matters related to the downtown shooting that occurred in Saratoga Springs on Nov. 20. The city’s allocation of less than 3 council members ensures a quorum will not be present, so the meeting between city personnel and the district attorney may be held privately, and not attended by the public.
Look to next week’s edition of Saratoga TODAY (Dec. 16-22 edition), for a more in-depth view of what to expect at the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors and the City Council meetings that will be held at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively, on Dec. 20.