No Toilets for You
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Hoping to get ahead of what he called a looming “crisis” come spring, city Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino invited council discussion by suggesting the installation of portable toilets at the Woodlawn Garage.
The thinking is that those portable toilets would be available for use during the late-night and early morning hours by the city’s homeless population after the April 30 lease conclusion of the temporary Code Blue shelter on Adelphi Street.
“We know the Woodlawn Garage – for better or worse and mostly for worse, the Woodlawn Garage is where many of the unhoused congregate,” Montagnino said. “I think we as a civilized society owe the most vulnerable members of society some modicum of dignity where we can provide it. When Code Blue closes there will be no place – I repeat - no place in the city of Saratoga Springs where after-hours a public toilet is accessible by anyone.”
Preliminary inquiries indicated costs would be approximately just under $1,000 per month for two handicap-accessible and wheelchair-accessible portable toilets regularly serviced, Montagnino added.
The proposal as brought to the council table, however, raised several concerns among the other council members, who argued its “discussion and vote” format lacked clarity about how the logistics might work, as well as lacking specific information regarding where revenue would be sourced, how it would be monitored or policed during the overnight period, issues of fair biding practices, and reports of a less-than-stellar track record of previous similar attempts made by the city.
“I think we’ve got a cart way before the horse in this situation,” city Mayor Ron Kim said, adding that earlier attempts by previous DPW Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco resulted in “a really bad situation where a number of issues occurred that we don’t have to go into in the public realm here. It’s my understanding that Commissioner Scirocco basically saw this as a failure,” Kim said. “I think we need to get public input on this, but my view is we ought to be working very hard to get a permanent shelter as soon as possible. And I’m not sure this makes any sense at all.”
“Mr. Mayor, when we talk about what doesn’t make any sense at all,” Montagnino responded, “is we have the permanent shelter. Back in October I was there with you when we announced the permanent shelter,” the commissioner said, referencing last year’s announcement by the city that it would site a permanent 24/7 shelter on Woodlawn Avenue in 2023, after converting the city-owned building that had previously served as the Senior Center.
Three months later, in January 2023, 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. By February, the shelter proposal met with an increasing backlash from parents and community members.
“People yelled at you and you caved,” Montagnino said to Kim. “The building that was earmarked for that permanent shelter will lay fallow while our unhoused population will suffer for the foreseeable future.”
Kim responded to Montagnino’s criticism by providing a timeline. “What happened was Shelters of Saratoga abandoned the plan and the resolution that I brought to this table that people voted 5-0 to support. They walked away from that, so we had to take a step back,” Kim said. “I didn’t cave. I went into the school and told them - in a very hostile audience - that Williams Street was still on the table, that it still could be the shelter, but I wanted three things to happen: we figure out what we need, we figure out the facility, and most importantly now, we figure out who will actually provide that service,” Mayor Kim said. “Williams Street is still on the table, and it remains on the table.”
Commissioners Golub, Moran and Sanghvi each expressed concern about the way the portable toilets idea was presented this week, as well as the lack of detailed clarity regarding how the installation and maintenance of the portable toilets would be accomplished. Commissioner Sanghvi floated the traction-gaining suggestion that the currently operational public bathrooms in Congress Park could be open for extended hours, after the Code Blue lease runs out on April 30.
Ultimately, the 22-minute discussion March 8 at the council table regarding the installation of two public toilets at the Woodlawn Garage lacked gaining a second motion, subsequently failing to move the issue to a public hearing on March 21.
Public Hearings approved to take place March 21:
•The City Council will host a Public Hearing on Tuesday, March 21 during its regular council meeting regarding potential earlier start times of those meetings.
Meetings – which generally take place on the first and third Tuesday of every month – start at 7 p.m. Last month, the mayor suggested the start time be relocated to 5 p.m. The purpose of the hearing on March 21 is to solicit opinions from the public regarding a potential earlier starting time, the mayor said.
One suggestion implemented at the March 7 council meeting featured an expansion of the time allotted each public speaker - from 2 minutes previously, to 4 minutes. Additionally, two Public Comment Periods – one at the start of the meeting and one at the end of the meeting – were featured.
• Public Hearing on a proposed ordinance amending city Municipal Code entitled “General Legislation” to add a chapter titled “Human Rights Protection.” The first of the proposed “Human Rights” protections is slated as the protection of reproductive rights. “We invite the public to comment on this important local legislation that will locally protect the right to choose,” city Mayor Ron Kim said.
• Public Hearing regarding the establishment of an Independent advisory committee to review the city’s compliance to Police Reform Task Force recommendations as ratified in 2021.
Public Meeting for Workforce Housing Project Monday Night
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A proposed workforce housing project will be one focus of Monday night’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at City Hall.
According to documents filed with the city, the applicant - Liberty Affordable Housing, Inc., of Rome, NY, and the owners – Saratoga Harness Racing, are seeking an area variance of 8 feet relief on a 48-foot structure to permit the development of workforce housing.
Plans call for the construction of approximately 215 workforce housing units on the 30-plus acre property located at the corner of Jefferson St. and Crescent Ave.
The ZBA Meeting gets underway at 6:30 p.m. on March 13 at Saratoga Springs City Hall.
Saratoga BLM Activist Pleads Not Guilty to Violation Initiated by City Public Safety Commissioner; Judge Denies Additional Request for Order of Protection
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Chandler Hickenbottom pleaded not guilty to a disorderly conduct charge during her arraignment at Saratoga Springs City Court on March 7.
The violation charge, specified as disturbing a lawful assembly, was requested by City Council member and Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino in connection with the disruption of a Feb. 7 City Council meeting. That council meeting was subsequently adjourned early and eventually resumed two days later.
“I filed the charge that I filed because the City Council meeting was ended. It wasn’t delayed, it wasn’t’ interrupted, it was ended,” Montagnino said, during the City Council meeting Tuesday night, March 8.
The 26-year-old Saratoga Black Lives Matter activist was accompanied by her attorney Mark Mishler who told the court that the allegations infringe and violate Hickenbottom’s protected First Amendment rights.
Inside the courtroom, supporters of Hickenbottom wore newly minted red sweatshirts stenciled with the hashtag #thepeoplesmeeting and name-checking the city’s public safety commissioner with the stenciled phrase addition “Your Racism Is Showing.”
Both Saratoga Springs City Judges - Jeffrey Wait and Francine Vero – apparently withdrew from hearing the case, the reason for their respective recusals not immediately known. Mechanicville City Court Judge Constantine DiStefano instead took the position at the judge’s bench flanked by the U.S. flag and N.Y. State flag as a handful of regionally based television news crew members sat in the jury box and fixed their cameras on the defendant’s table.
In court, Judge Constantine DiStefano denied an additional filing by the commissioner, who sits on the City Council, for an order of protection. If approved, it presumably would have barred Hickenbottom from attending council meetings, which are attended by Montagnino.
All parties are scheduled to return to city court on March 28.
“This whole situation is absolutely ridiculous,” Hickenbottom said, meeting with members of the media on the steps of City Hall following her appearance in court. “What we see is a public official now taking out an Order of Protection against an activist. This is taking away from my (ability) to go to City Council meetings, to speak about things I feel I should be able to speak about. I am a lifelong community member, born and raised in Saratoga Springs, and it is my right to come to these City Council meetings.”
Hickenbottom said recent developments are “fracturing” the relationship between Saratoga BLM and city government. Recently, the council agreed to hold a special forum with activists to discuss issues. That forum is anticipated to take place March 21.
A number of Saratoga BLM activists are intending to bring a lawsuit against the city, according to Hickenbottom’s attorney, Mark Mishler said. “Going back well before (city protests in) July 2020, but at least for these purposes, starting in July 2020, there has been a policy and practices directed and motivated to violate the civil rights, the constitutional rights, of Saratoga BLM and other supporters of Saratoga BLM,” Mishler said. “We didn’t need this new charge to have a very strong lawsuit against the city of Saratoga Springs, (but) it is our intent that this event will also be part of the lawsuit.”
There is no specific timeline to file a potential lawsuit, but Mishler reminded that the state Attorney General’s office remains engaged in an investigation of the city related to civil rights violations. “We are interested in seeing what the Attorney General’s office says when they complete their investigation, so, most likely a lawsuit will not be filed until that process is complete.”
“I want to see actual change,” Hickenbottom said. “Nothing is going to change if they don’t listen to the things that the community wants. What I’m looking for is the City Council to actually listen to the community. The only way we’re going to move forward and be a better Saratoga is to listen to the people who are working in Saratoga and living in Saratoga. And that doesn’t mean the people who are rich in Saratoga. That means the minorities of Saratoga: the poor, the black, the homeless.”
The other four members of the City Council have come out publicly expressing disapproval of the action brought by their fellow Democrat public safety commissioner.
“I wish we hadn’t taken this step,” city Mayor Ron Kim said, shortly after Hickenbottom’s court appearance. “I don’t think we need to have a court hearing on someone who is exercising their free speech, even though that speech we may not like, or we may not like the way they are delivering it; it’s still essentially a First Amendment right and we shouldn’t have the courts dealing with this. It’s regrettable we have this situation.”
“Where we are now is partly because of Darryl Mount, but it’s not only because of that,” said Saratoga BLM activist Alexis Figuereo.
Darryl Mount was a 21-year-old biracial man who was mortally injured while fleeing city police in the early morning hours of Aug. 31, 2013. Mount was subsequently in a coma for several months following the incident and died in May 2014.
The city’s Public Safety Department maintained there was no police misconduct evident related to the circumstances of the injuries suffered by Mount, although the level of speculation about what may have occurred has remained high among some area residents, particularly after a 2018 report published by the Times Union revealed court documents showing the city’s then police chief admitted no internal investigation into misconduct was ever conducted and that he had intentionally deceived a local reporter whose published stories referenced an ongoing internal investigation that the chief knew didn’t exist.
“I believe with all the things that have been going on across America, and even in our own communities – things that are swept under the rug and people don’t talk about – that’s the reason we came together in 2020 to speak our mind,” Figuereo said. In the summer of 2020, protests for social and racial justice ramped up regionally much as they had nationwide in the wake of the May 25 murder of George Floyd in in Minneapolis.
“Even if there was no Darryl Mount we would be out here. Daryl Mount is a big part of it, but there are still a bunch of other people who have been abused in this community and in this county - being called racist words, the KKK flyers on our cars. It needs to be spoken against, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
The Times They are a Changin’ - NOT - City Council Modifications Retracted
Under Development: Renovations at Longfellows, Redevelopment of Stewarts, SoBro Hotel Expansion,
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Planning Board will host its next meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 9 at City Hall.
Planning Board applications currently under consideration include:
• Stewarts 177 S Broadway & 28 Lincoln - Initiation of Coordinated SEQRA Review of a proposed redevelopment of existing Stewart’s Shop, demolition of all existing site features and replacement of fuel tanks and canopy, and a new two-story 3,720 sq. ft. Stewart’s Shop.
• 3368 South Broadway Hotel - Expansion Site Plan review for an addition to an existing hotel to incorporate 17 new rooms in the Gateway Commercial - Rural district. The expansion along the southern hall of the building would be a total of 2,942 square feet new footprint, according to documents filed with the city. Three parking spaces will also be added to the site of the project, which is titled Homewood Suites.
• 500 Union Longfellows Renovations - Site plan review of a proposed redevelopment of the existing Longfellow’s hotel, restaurant and conference center in the Interlaken PUD.
The project description calls for the demolition of the restaurant portion of the main building, while maintaining the existing hotel rooms on the building’s north side. Addition plans point to the development of a new building to connect to the existing block of hotel rooms and the construction of a connecting bridge.
In specific numbers, plans call for the number of rooms to increase from 18 in the main building and 32 in the hotel wing, to 54 and 34, respectively, according to the most recently revised plans submitted to the city.
Mayor, Council Members Respond to City Commissioner Summons Against Saratoga BLM Member
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A criminal complaint was filed last month asking the Saratoga Springs Police Department to issue a summons to Chandler Hickenbottom, in connection with the disruption of a Feb. 7 City Council meeting. That council meeting was subsequently adjourned early and resumed two days later.
The request for a criminal summons was made on Feb. 16 by Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino, according to court documents. The charge, a disorderly conduct violation, is specified under the subdivision as disturbing a lawful assembly without lawful authority to do so. Hickenbottom, 26, is scheduled to answer to the charges in City Court on March 7.
Following reports of the filing, city Mayor Ron Kim released a statement regarding the matter and the apparent filing of a summons against Hickenbottom, a member of Black Lives Matter Saratoga.
“I regret to hear that the Commissioner of Public Safety has filed a summons against a BLM activist for her disruptive conduct during the Feb. 7, 2023 City Council meeting. This action is counterproductive to a continued dialogue with all members of our community, a waste of city resources and could potentially lead to additional costs to the city and taxpayers,” said Mayor Kim, who along with Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino were two of the five council members present during the Feb. 7 meeting.
“The BLM activist who interrupted our meeting…acted in an irresponsible manner and I condemn any outbursts by a community member at our public meetings, but I do not believe it was criminal or requires any consideration by the courts,” said Kim, calling on Montagnino to withdraw the summons and adding that the action is “a misguided overreach by the Department of Public Safety… counterproductive and regrettable.”
Additional statements were later released by three other City Council members. They read, in part:
• Commissioner of Finance Minita Sanghvi: “I am deeply distressed to see that instead of moving towards engagement and dialogue through a community forum, the Commissioner of Public Safety has decided to waste taxpayer dollars by filing a criminal complaint against Chandler Hickenbottom of Saratoga BLM.”
• Commissioner of Public Works Jason Golub: “I believe there are much better ways to respond to and solve the issues raised by BLM and by the Police Reform Task Force, rather than escalating unproductive rhetoric and taking unnecessary legal actions...BLM and the protests we’ve seen locally and nationally over the past few years give voice to a problem that must be taken seriously, and not dismissed by leaders. I believe the best path forward is a strategic and ongoing dialogue between BLM, members of the council, members of the police force, and other impacted constituencies with concrete outcomes and accountability. Everyone must come to the table and work together in order for us to progress.”
• Commissioner of Accounts Dillon Moran said he was “deeply disturbed by the unilateral actions taken by the Commissioner of Public Safety,” and urged “collaborative engagement with those seeking answers about our efforts relative to the work of the Police Reform Task Force... the criminalization of speech is simply unacceptable and will further widen the divide that exists within our community.”
Subsequent to the February meetings, the mayor recommended changes to the twice-a-month council meetings, effective immediately, that will feature an earlier start time and place a time-lengthened public comment period at the end of meetings, rather than at the beginning – where they currently stand.
The Times They are a Changin’ - City Council Implements Modifications
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Addressing potential solutions to the lengthy and at-times volatile public comment sessions during recent council meetings, the city is looking to change meeting start-times from early evenings to late afternoons. It will also relocate public comment sessions from the traditional meeting-start to meeting-end and extend each speaker’s allotted time limit by adding additional minutes.
“All meetings will now start at 5 p.m.,” city Mayor Ron Kim announced while proposing the changes during the council’s Feb. 21 meeting. “We (will be) starting a little earlier to get to some of the standard business that has to be done by our City Council.” City Council meetings are typically held on the first and third Tuesday of each month.
Public Comment periods – both, those targeting specific proposals as well as sessions provided for general commentary – will be moved to the tail end of meetings. The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors similarly stage their public comment periods at the end of their regular meetings. Each speaker will be allotted twice as long to talk as is currently allotted.
“Each person will have four minutes to speak, rather than the current two minutes,” Kim said. “People seem to be very constrained by the two-minute time period. We’re doubling the time and adding a (once-per-month) Community Forum which will allow groups to speak to us in a more open and less constrained manner. We do believe this will enhance our ability to interact with the public.”
The changes are anticipated to go into effect with the council’s next meeting on March 7. The 5 p.m. commencement stands in contrast to the traditional 7 p.m. start of meetings that back many years and through several administrations. A sampling:
April 4, 2000 – Mayor Ken Klotz called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Meeting Notes: Commissioner Thomas McTygue informed Council members that two individuals had been apprehended in Congress Park for pouring dye on the Katrina Task stairway. He said these individuals were caught due in great part to the new cameras placed throughout the park.
April 20, 2004 - Mayor Michael Lenz called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. and reviewed some of the guidelines for the public comment period: 1 - Speakers must step to the microphone and give their name, address and organization; 2 - Speakers must limit their remarks to two minutes on a given topic; 3 - A total of 15 minutes shall be allotted at the beginning of each Council meeting for the public comment period. If more time is needed, time will be provided to those still wishing to speak at the end of the Council meeting; 4 - All remarks shall be addressed to the Council as a body, not solely to any member thereof; 5 - Speakers shall observe the commonly accepted rules of courtesy, decorum and good taste.
March 21, 2006 – Mayor Valerie Keehn called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Agenda: Finance Commissioner Mat McCabe leads discussion on city Bond Rating; Public Safety Commissioner Ron Kim announces the formation of a Pedestrian Safety Committee.
July 15, 2008 – Mayor Scott Johnson called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Several people spoke during the public hearing regarding the donation of land to the Shelters of Saratoga (SOS) on Walworth Street to enable the Shelters to build a transitional housing to compliment the Shelter already existing there.
Dec. 6, 2016 – Mayor Joanne Yepsen called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Discussion and Vote: Resolution for Humanity, Respect and Inclusiveness; Announcement: Special City Council Meeting on Affordable Housing scheduled to take place Dec. 14.
Oct. 5, 2021 – Mayor Meg Kelly called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. and opened the public comment period at 7:01 p.m. Melanie Trimble of the New York Civil Liberties Union addressed the arrests made of BLM activists in the past weeks and expressed the belief that the protestors were engaged in actions protected by the first amendment.
Feb. 21, 2023: meeting call to order 7 p.m. City Mayor Ron Kim lead a discussion regarding changes for future City Council meetings.
The proposed changes
• Saratoga Springs City Council meetings will now be called to order at 5 p.m.
• Public Comment Period, normally held at the beginning of meetings and allowing 2 minutes per public speaker, will now be held just prior to conclusion of meeting, allowing 4 minutes per speaker.
• Proposals up for vote requiring public comment will be re-arranged accordingly, so the public may voice their opinion prior to a Council vote taking place.
• At least one City Council meeting per month will also include a Community Forum. That forum, anticipated to run 30-to-60-minutes in length, will be an open forum and focus on one specific item, selected by the mayor’s office with public input. Council members and supervisors are invited, but not required, to attend the forums.
Spa City: Under Development
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The city’s three Land Use Boards are a good indicator of plans, designs and proposals that will ultimately define the Saratoga Springs landscape in the near and distant future.
Upcoming meetings:
Design Review Board – 6 p.m., March 1.
“For Outdoor Dining Applications Only” – 6 p.m., March 8.
Planning Board – Feb. 23. Workshop: March 2,
Meeting: March 9.
Zoning Board of Appeals – 6:30 p.m., Feb. 27.
All meetings at Saratoga Springs City Hall. For more information about meetings and agendas, go to: Saratoga-springs.org.
Saratoga: Substance Use Surveillance Dashboard
BALLSTON SPA — Saratoga County officials unveiled a new “comprehensive, near real-time substance use surveillance dashboard,” on Feb. 7 that coordinates and reports on substance use related data within Saratoga County.
Believed to be the first of its kind in use in upstate N.Y., county officials are hopeful the data the tool provides will aid in opioid and substance abuse education, prevention, treatment and response efforts.
“Death from opioid poisoning is a national issue of historic proportion,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Theodore Kusnierz, during Tuesday’s press conference unveiling the dashboard. The gathering included Clifton Park Supervisor and Health & Human Services Chair Philip Barrett, County Sheriff Michael Zurlo, and county Health Commissioner Daniel Kuhles, among others.
“Nationally we see about 50,000 overdose deaths per year and three-quarters of those deaths involve the use of synthetic or man-made opioids, other than methadone,” said Kusnierz, adding that the county will be re-investing millions of dollars, including funds received via opioid settlements, to “mitigate the growing influence of drugs and addiction in our communities, through a variety of programs.”
With the Surveillance Dashboard, Saratoga County Department of Health epidemiologists leverage data from six primary sources that originate across multiple disciplines (law enforcement, health care, mental health, and public health) to provide a comprehensive picture of the burden of substance use in the county. The standardized approach allows for the timely identification of concerning patterns, such as a spike in a limited geographic area over a defined period of time.
Some data:
Drug-Related Overdoses in Saratoga County, 2018-2023
• 2018: 449.
• 2019: 467.
• 2020: 487.
• 2021: 584
• 2022: 671.
• 2023: 46 YTD.
According to the data, 48 of the 671 overdoses in 2022 were fatal. In 2023, those statistics are 7 fatalities of 46 overdoses, year-to-date.
The top five primary drugs in 2022 overdoses (that is, the first drug identified in the report and not including polydrug use) in order were: heroin, followed by RX drugs, fentanyl, oxycodone, alcohol.
Substance Use: Top Number of Annual Narcotic Prescriptions by Provider Zip Code
• Saratoga Springs (12866): 120,418.
• Clifton Park (12065): 85,250.
• Amsterdam – incl. portion of Saratoga County (12010): 60,929.
• Ballston Spa (12020): 34,186.
• Gansevoort – incl. portion of Wilton (12831): 23,676.
This narcotic prescription data – depicting the most recent information available in 2021 - is reflective of the provider zip code, and not of the patient receiving the prescription. As such, the totals may include non-Saratoga County residents.
Multiple departments across the county will benefit from this data including Department of Health, Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the Sheriff’s Office. The data will help identify high burden areas and to track overdose ‘hot spots’ to quickly focus on peer outreach, naloxone placement/distribution, and trainings throughout the county. The data will also be used to monitor trends over time and evaluate the impact of prevention and treatment programs such as: Jail MAT Program, Second Chance Program, and Naloxone distribution and administration in the County.
Saratoga County is also providing this public dashboard to assist healthcare organizations, first responders, community organizations, municipalities, and schools in their education, prevention, treatment and response efforts. Further, the dashboard provides residents with resources for mental health and substance use prevention and treatment.
To view the Surveillance Use Dashboard go to Savealifeto.day.
Drug-related overdoses by year in Saratoga Springs, as reported via Saratoga County’s new Substance Use Surveillance Dashboard at: Savealifeto.day.
City Council Meeting Adjourns Early; City Leaders, Saratoga BLM Commit to Public Meeting
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.
