Displaying items by tag: Saratoga County Board of Supervisors

BALLSTON SPA — There are 23 of them, and 23 they will remain. 

The Board of Supervisors by a majority vote adopted a Local Law to increase the population threshold that would trigger additional supervisors to 27,500, during its monthly meeting on Feb. 15. 

The standing law had provided one electable supervisor for each town or city in Saratoga County for up to 25,000 residents – with a second additional supervisor provided for populations greater than 25,000. Currently, two-supervisor-municipalities are limited to the city of Saratoga Springs and the town of Clifton Park. The town of Halfmoon was poised to join them with recent census data indicating the growing population in Halfmoon at climbing to just above 25,600. 

The new county resolution, which takes effect immediately, will maintain the overall number of current members on the board at 23. No reason was given for the measure. 

“Whether that’s really because of the number of seats in this room, or you believe that’s the optimum size for a body, or an aversion to change, I can’t say,” said local resident Barbara Thomas when addressing the board during a public hearing on the matter. 

See Me, Hear Me

Currently, options available to members of the public wishing to learn about happenings at county meetings in real time are limited to either attending the public gatherings in person, or phoning-in with a designated call-in number and punching in an access code to listen to as much of a meeting as the technology will allow. That’s about to change.     

In 2021, the county Board of Supervisors set plans in motion for technology upgrades to its meeting room. The county entered into an agreement with Syracuse-based Presentation Concepts Corporation for design and implementation of the audio/visual upgrades, although those upgrades were not conducted at that time. 

The county Board on Feb. 15 reappropriated just over $175,000 in unspent funds it targeted to upgrade the technology last year, to 2022. The breakdown of funding includes about $112,000 in communications equipment, about $16,000 for software, and $45,000 for “other professional services.” 

An additional Board resolution this week authorized the 7-member county Buildings and Grounds Committee – which is chaired by Saratoga Springs city Supervisor Matt Veitch - to approve any potential change orders to the agreement with Presentation Concepts Corporation for a total project cost of up to $315,000. 

The technology upgrades are anticipated to take place this spring.

Other Items

• The county board approved just over $69,000 to be paid to the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation for the third and fourth quarter of 2021 for providing marketing services. The county’s annual agreement with SEDC in 2021 was set at a total cost of up to $150,000 “to provide marketing services for the promotion of the benefits of conducting business operations” in Saratoga County.   

• The county approved $1.5 million in funding toward the expansion costs of Hudson Valley Community College’s north campus in the town of Malta. The construction of the proposed new two-story building includes program-specific labs, classrooms, and educational support spaces, and is anticipated to increase enrollment in high demand programs by 10 – 20% and create opportunities for more graduates to enter the healthcare, STEM and skilled trade fields more quickly, according to the Board. 

Saratoga County has a 2022 budget of $381 million. The county was directly awarded $22.3 million in 2021 funding via the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and is projected to receive another $22.3 million in funding in 2022. 

SARATOGA COUNTY — The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors voted to grant $150,000 in funding to the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation last week. This award marks the new start of a relationship between the SEDC and the county, after the county cut off all funding to the SEDC six years ago after a 35-year relationship. The county then formed the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership to compete with the SEDC.

This funding also marks a new beginning of economic development reform for the county. “We’ve made tremendous progress, but we need to keep moving forward,” said Phil Barrett, chair of the county’s economic development committee. Barrett added that part of the new public service contract with the SEDC would include monthly meetings, full transparency, full budget and financial statements, a compensation schedule for employees, and a sheet to identify how and where county funds are being spent. 

The Prosperity Partnership will still receive funding from the county, but it will decrease from around $775,000 to about $500,000. The SEDC will continue the progress that they’ve made in the county’s economic development. “The organization [SEDC] has a successful history of 40 years; it was successful with a contract with the county, and continued to post results in this period without a contract,” said Barrett. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A reward of $20,000 is being offered by the StarNet Insurance Company for information leading to the arrest, recovery and conviction in regard to the September 12 burglary at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in which five precious trophies were stolen.

The trophies stolen are the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, won by Africander, the 1903 Brighton Cup Trophy, won by Hermis, the 1905 Saratoga Special Trophy, won by Mohawk II, the 1914 Brook Cup Handicap Steeplechase Trophy, won by Compliment, and the 1923 Grand National Steeplechase Trophy, won by Sergeant Murphy.

Any information or questions should be directed to the Saratoga Springs Police Department through Inv. Laura Emanatian at (518) 584-1800, ext. 3402 or Inv. James Bell at (518) 584-1800, ext. 3492.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Five trophies that were on display at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame