1 00:00:05,830 --> 00:00:15,290 A public hearing tonight is to amend city code, chapter 2, 1, 2, article 3, the code, a city 2 00:00:15,290 --> 00:00:22,450 server took a spring, and titled, Senior Citizens Tax Example, I just want to say something about 3 00:00:22,450 --> 00:00:23,590 that, Commissioner. 4 00:00:26,810 --> 00:00:31,930 New York State passed some legislation for the New York State budget 5 00:00:31,930 --> 00:00:45,870 that allows us to increase our senior income tax exemption from 50% up to 65% and we haven't 6 00:00:45,870 --> 00:00:52,830 heard from anybody that has disagreed with that and the city would like to adopt that 7 00:00:52,830 --> 00:00:59,590 to help our seniors stay in their homes. It would take effect for the next tax year not this one. 8 00:00:59,590 --> 00:01:05,750 So that is what this public hearing is about with anyone like to speak concerning that, please step up to the microphone. 9 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:09,800 We will be voting on this tonight. 10 00:01:13,740 --> 00:01:18,900 Seeing nobody, we will close the public hearing and we will be voting on this tonight. 11 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,940 We'll start our meeting with a roll call. 12 00:01:24,950 --> 00:01:25,590 Mayor Saffron. 13 00:01:26,330 --> 00:01:27,690 Commissioner Karenan. 14 00:01:28,390 --> 00:01:28,410 Mayor. 15 00:01:28,750 --> 00:01:29,350 Commissioner Caremati. 16 00:01:30,410 --> 00:01:31,270 Commissioner Cole. 17 00:01:32,270 --> 00:01:33,030 Mr. Tracy. 18 00:01:34,730 --> 00:01:38,310 Supervisor Berger, isn't Supervisor Sondy? 19 00:01:39,270 --> 00:01:40,070 You have a quorum, sir. 20 00:01:40,270 --> 00:01:40,450 Thank you. 21 00:01:40,630 --> 00:01:42,370 Let's try to salute the flag. 22 00:01:44,050 --> 00:01:44,810 What do we do? 23 00:01:45,090 --> 00:01:47,550 To the flag of the United States of America. 24 00:01:47,990 --> 00:01:49,830 To the Republic for which it stands. 25 00:01:50,330 --> 00:01:52,310 One nation under the guidance, the individual, 26 00:01:52,930 --> 00:01:54,930 with liberty and justice are affordable. 27 00:02:00,010 --> 00:02:02,410 We have no presentations tonight. 28 00:02:04,230 --> 00:02:09,430 move for the counsel to approve the consent agenda. That's my motion. Is there a second? 29 00:02:09,750 --> 00:02:10,310 Second. 30 00:02:10,750 --> 00:02:13,810 I'll call the second. Any questions on it? 31 00:02:13,850 --> 00:02:16,210 All those in favor say aye? Aye. 32 00:02:16,210 --> 00:02:17,330 Any opposed? Aye. 33 00:02:17,590 --> 00:02:20,310 Nane? Of extensions that matter pass is five zero. 34 00:02:20,930 --> 00:02:23,790 We are now moving into our public comment period. 35 00:02:25,370 --> 00:02:29,630 We have some rules here that you can come up rows if you want. 36 00:02:29,630 --> 00:02:38,650 That's on the job is the public comment period, it is a period of an opportunity for members of the public to present their views to the city council. 37 00:02:39,570 --> 00:02:42,950 Each speaker will have three minutes and may not return to the microphone. 38 00:02:43,690 --> 00:02:52,230 The council typically does not respond to comments during the public comment period, but we're always happy to discuss matters with the public at other times. 39 00:02:52,230 --> 00:02:59,010 After public comment has concluded council members may address issues raised during the public comment period, 40 00:02:59,410 --> 00:03:03,770 request information from staff or direct that an issue be placed in a future agenda. 41 00:03:04,510 --> 00:03:11,470 We ask all participants the participants to respect the rules of the columns so that everyone has an equal opportunity to be heard. 42 00:03:11,890 --> 00:03:19,850 Speakers may not engage in conduct that disrupts the orderly conduct the meeting or prevents others from exercising their opportunity to speak. 43 00:03:19,850 --> 00:03:23,970 If necessary, we do cut off the microphone at three minutes. 44 00:03:24,670 --> 00:03:26,850 We welcome everyone here to speak. 45 00:03:27,530 --> 00:03:31,790 We're here to listen to what that speaker has to say for that three-minute period, 46 00:03:34,610 --> 00:03:34,830 but 47 00:03:35,310 --> 00:03:39,650 we do ask, even if you're in the middle of a sentence, we have a little clock that will 48 00:03:39,650 --> 00:03:40,330 help. 49 00:03:40,950 --> 00:03:44,990 Once that clock, even if we're in the middle, we ask you to stop speaking at that point. 50 00:03:46,190 --> 00:03:47,410 Go ahead, go as you want. 51 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,700 I'm sorry, I need it. 52 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:57,140 Okay, go ahead. 53 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:58,860 I'm not sorry, I need it. 54 00:04:00,500 --> 00:04:06,020 I want to read some of the excerpts from article in the series, 55 00:04:06,220 --> 00:04:12,420 I'll be in August 26, and it's found my brother. 56 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,680 Title the passing of a friend. 57 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:22,660 They John Frustir, a racing fan, and it was written by Warren Ives, director of public 58 00:04:22,660 --> 00:04:25,880 relations at the Saratoga Harness Trail. 59 00:04:26,780 --> 00:04:32,260 Members of the Saratoga Racing family lost a friend to the afternoon. 60 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:39,580 His name was Beat John Frustir, also known by racegoers as Mr. Win. 61 00:04:42,330 --> 00:04:48,470 Big John had no enemies. He took all kinds of hitting for many people. 62 00:04:51,940 --> 00:04:56,440 He was known and almost every eatery in Saratoma's spring. 63 00:05:01,170 --> 00:05:04,850 If you needed a favor, John Praster would comply. 64 00:05:05,430 --> 00:05:12,650 And the pest number appears there with many great structures, characterized in many novels, 65 00:05:12,650 --> 00:05:13,590 Don 66 00:05:21,300 --> 00:05:23,180 for a steer of a long steer. 67 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,180 The image of a race tracker is changed loads. 68 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:32,820 John for a steer was one of those individuals who helped that change. 69 00:05:33,660 --> 00:05:36,020 Every day says his mother's passing, 70 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,420 John would visit her parade, say a short prayer. 71 00:05:41,340 --> 00:05:43,940 On Tuesday afternoon he parked his car 72 00:05:43,940 --> 00:05:47,500 and left the motor running to pay respects once again. 73 00:05:47,500 --> 00:05:52,240 Big John passed the finish line saying that prayer. 74 00:05:52,420 --> 00:05:55,120 Of course, racing will miss the big bell. 75 00:05:57,610 --> 00:06:02,290 John and I were both in our early 30s when the saw occurred. 76 00:06:03,550 --> 00:06:06,690 August 26th is etched in my mind. 77 00:06:07,950 --> 00:06:13,950 I am heartbroken that I had so much respect for people 78 00:06:13,950 --> 00:06:35,050 on this room, on the Council, and the City Attorney, August 26 will be etched in my mind as a day where I was misty, that I was dupped. 79 00:06:35,050 --> 00:06:47,770 So I'm going to take a sing from the Bible. Jesus Christ, my Lord, said Peter, you 80 00:06:47,770 --> 00:06:56,670 doct me, and I let you doct me, get behind me Satan. And I have some copies of this 81 00:06:56,670 --> 00:07:03,790 anyone in the audience wants it. And then we're trying to say, Toby, thank you. 82 00:07:04,090 --> 00:07:09,390 Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. You have up to three minutes. 83 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:16,820 Good evening. I'm Rob Kaufland, Greenfield, Avenue, Sertoga Springs, New York. 84 00:07:16,980 --> 00:07:24,420 I'm here to discuss the renewal of the Flock contract. I have to admit that the Flock 85 00:07:24,420 --> 00:07:29,820 cameras are in effective law enforcement. They truly are. But I think that this body. 86 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,840 It has to look at it from a much broader perspective than just that of the leaked law enforcement. 87 00:07:34,860 --> 00:07:38,840 You know, I read 1984, 15 years when that was in the future. 88 00:07:39,700 --> 00:07:45,900 They talk about big brother and the pillars of that regime were consistently used mass surveillance. 89 00:07:46,740 --> 00:07:49,960 And I looked up in Wikipedia. I think it's a reasonable resource. 90 00:07:50,420 --> 00:07:57,120 That defines a mass surveillance as intricate surveillance of an entire or substantial fraction of a population 91 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,940 in order to monitor that group of citizens. 92 00:08:00,860 --> 00:08:02,180 And then they looked up police state. 93 00:08:02,260 --> 00:08:07,260 And the electronic police state is state in which government aggressively uses electronic 94 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:13,600 technologies to record, collect, store, organize, and distribute information about its 95 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:14,020 clients. 96 00:08:14,460 --> 00:08:16,300 And that is exactly what Flock does. 97 00:08:16,860 --> 00:08:21,080 It obtains this information and transmits it to data, data, national database. 98 00:08:22,660 --> 00:08:28,400 It is an effective tool for law enforcement, but it also is an effective tool for an authoritarian 99 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,080 regime or a wannabe authoritarian regime. 100 00:08:31,740 --> 00:08:36,520 And that would be, you know, where a power is vested in just a few people, where it would 101 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:41,160 are not accountable to the public, and there's not a loud, meaningful opposition. 102 00:08:42,060 --> 00:08:46,460 Now, and what fundamentally does is eliminates checks and balances. 103 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:55,000 And if I remember my American constitutional history correctly, checks and balances is a founding 104 00:08:55,000 --> 00:09:05,200 principle of this country and the mass surveillance and a tool for mass surveillance is 105 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:11,540 the opposite of the founding of that of a founding principle and is opposite to the very 106 00:09:11,540 --> 00:09:13,160 concept of who the people. 107 00:09:13,820 --> 00:09:14,740 Thank you. 108 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:15,420 Thank you. 109 00:09:15,420 --> 00:09:17,160 Next speaker please. 110 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:22,280 You are up to three minutes, sir. 111 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:27,580 Good evening. Thank you for having me here. 112 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:34,420 Glad to see that number. My name is Robert Stromberg. I live in a round lake in Seratoria County. 113 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,740 I have this a few things to say. 114 00:09:37,740 --> 00:09:45,860 Flock safety says on their website that they have a 96% OCR accuracy. 115 00:09:46,340 --> 00:09:49,800 OCR means optical character recognition, 116 00:09:52,570 --> 00:09:55,110 machine sees something written, and recognizes 117 00:09:55,110 --> 00:09:56,570 the letters and numbers. 118 00:09:57,290 --> 00:09:59,710 That's what the license plates have, something written. 119 00:10:00,570 --> 00:10:07,850 Now when I was in high school, a 96% grade, I'm a social study as a region's exam, it 120 00:10:07,850 --> 00:10:17,790 have been wonderful. But, this 96% accuracy rate leaves 4% error rate, letter by letter, 121 00:10:18,130 --> 00:10:20,170 character by character number by number. 122 00:10:21,710 --> 00:10:35,230 According to the South August brings transparency portal, 349,443 vehicles license plates were read in the last 30 days. 123 00:10:35,230 --> 00:10:48,130 Times 4%, that's 13,178 hours in the data coming in to our database. 124 00:10:49,550 --> 00:10:56,290 How does anybody sort out what's correct and what's not correct in those license plate 125 00:10:56,290 --> 00:10:56,830 reads? 126 00:10:57,350 --> 00:10:59,230 I think that's very tricky. 127 00:10:59,230 --> 00:11:08,270 My last point at transparency portal lists a whole lot of different agencies at government 128 00:11:09,460 --> 00:11:18,090 that can see our data, including an Alabama, but Blount County Commissioners. 129 00:11:18,650 --> 00:11:22,430 That's the government of Blount County, not just law enforcement. 130 00:11:23,410 --> 00:11:26,690 Including the city of Sierra Vista, Arizona. 131 00:11:27,450 --> 00:11:30,990 That's the city, the city government. 132 00:11:32,270 --> 00:11:37,370 I failed to see that there are adequate controls over who can read our data. 133 00:11:37,970 --> 00:11:40,070 And I drive to Santa Cruz Springs. 134 00:11:41,150 --> 00:11:46,090 You visit to shop, go to a venue for an event I like. 135 00:11:46,890 --> 00:11:50,610 I don't like the idea that my vehicle is being tracked. 136 00:11:50,610 --> 00:11:53,450 It could be a direct and error. 137 00:11:54,350 --> 00:11:54,670 Thank you. 138 00:11:55,530 --> 00:11:55,830 Thank you. 139 00:11:57,030 --> 00:11:57,990 Next speaker please. 140 00:12:02,540 --> 00:12:02,820 Next speaker. 141 00:12:09,130 --> 00:12:11,330 You have up to four minutes or three minutes. 142 00:12:11,570 --> 00:12:11,650 I'm sorry. 143 00:12:11,910 --> 00:12:12,390 Three minutes. 144 00:12:13,270 --> 00:12:13,310 Thanks. 145 00:12:13,730 --> 00:12:13,810 Thank you. 146 00:12:14,950 --> 00:12:15,710 I'm a resident. 147 00:12:16,110 --> 00:12:16,850 Sarah Toga Springs. 148 00:12:16,950 --> 00:12:19,910 I'm here also to talk about mass surveillance. 149 00:12:20,610 --> 00:12:26,450 I've observed the cameras in the city and was at the last meeting and listened to 150 00:12:26,450 --> 00:12:28,110 the responses from the commissioner. 151 00:12:28,110 --> 00:12:40,170 especially a commissioner call, and the, to me, the crux of this whole thing is the finding the balance between the considerations of privacy, 152 00:12:40,390 --> 00:12:55,050 the expectations of privacy of movement, the freedom of movement to attend legal gatherings, for example, to attend a protest to attend churches without being tracked, 153 00:12:55,050 --> 00:13:03,260 versus the clear value law enforcement that you gave a commissioner call gave an example of. 154 00:13:04,110 --> 00:13:13,010 Lastly, it's also balanced against the risk of abuses and the risks of abuse have been shown to be quite 155 00:13:13,010 --> 00:13:23,030 prevalent most directly last week and all of the county senior investigator being shown to 156 00:13:23,030 --> 00:13:32,190 illegally or inappropriately, I should say, used the flock database to track a person for 157 00:13:32,190 --> 00:13:33,490 personally use, I'll say. 158 00:13:33,990 --> 00:13:36,590 There's many other documented cases of that around the country. 159 00:13:38,810 --> 00:13:46,690 So, meet for one, I just want to express that to me, the values that are clearly there for law enforcement, 160 00:13:47,250 --> 00:13:51,110 don't come close to balancing the downside of it. 161 00:13:51,110 --> 00:13:55,710 of control of the data, the data is going to a private corporation that's selling that data 162 00:13:55,710 --> 00:13:58,310 to anyone that subscribes to their service. 163 00:13:58,650 --> 00:14:01,770 Don't know where the data is going, that data is not audited. 164 00:14:02,130 --> 00:14:06,630 They claim that the data that they collect from a sit from a municipality like Saratoga 165 00:14:06,630 --> 00:14:13,470 is the property of Saratoga Springs, but that has absolutely no value because they are 166 00:14:13,470 --> 00:14:18,650 given full use of the data to sell, resell and use it anyway they like. 167 00:14:18,650 --> 00:14:20,430 It doesn't matter who owns the data. 168 00:14:20,810 --> 00:14:21,850 It's what they do with the data. 169 00:14:22,310 --> 00:14:25,230 Another comment was made that they're only collecting pictures. 170 00:14:25,390 --> 00:14:27,130 They're just pictures of license plates. 171 00:14:28,290 --> 00:14:30,930 It's not the collection of the picture that's the problem. 172 00:14:31,130 --> 00:14:33,910 It's what they do with the license plate. 173 00:14:34,810 --> 00:14:37,010 And they build profiles of people's movement. 174 00:14:37,190 --> 00:14:38,870 They do these so-called heat maps. 175 00:14:39,730 --> 00:14:46,670 And it discourages people from engaging in lawful behavior 176 00:14:46,670 --> 00:14:52,650 that I mentioned, going to public spaces, protests and churches of your choice. 177 00:14:53,350 --> 00:14:59,990 So I want to express that my concern around the privacy issues. 178 00:15:00,210 --> 00:15:16,750 Far outweighed and valued to me as a citizen. I think many others then do the law enforcement values in this case. And I hope Seratoga cancels the contracts so we can properly vet that system and bring it back if it turns out to be so. 179 00:15:17,550 --> 00:15:19,850 Thank you. Next speaker, please. 180 00:15:20,990 --> 00:15:21,470 I 181 00:15:24,220 --> 00:15:29,320 was on Sam Brewer. I have a previously spoken to you at the end of July regarding artificial intelligence. 182 00:15:30,220 --> 00:15:32,640 And I'm going to continue that theme this evening. 183 00:15:34,060 --> 00:15:36,600 One thing we all have in common is we all have elementary school. 184 00:15:36,980 --> 00:15:39,440 We probably did show and tell. 185 00:15:40,100 --> 00:15:42,060 So I'm going to pass this. 186 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:43,580 I'm going to supervise your time. 187 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:48,620 I'm going to pass it around and take us an AI accelerator that's about 10 years old. 188 00:15:48,620 --> 00:16:13,780 Now, new those go for about $20,000, and for every one of those that Nvidia sells, I should say for every million of those that Nvidia sells, it increases the amount of planetary electricity that we need by a substantial amount by every 2 million of those cards raises the planetary requirement by 1 gigawatt, which is actually you can actually see it on the scale, okay? 189 00:16:13,780 --> 00:16:16,880 This is from 2000 to 2025. 190 00:16:17,660 --> 00:16:20,880 And you can see the massive rise in electricity consumption 191 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:22,540 that's being caused by the installation 192 00:16:22,540 --> 00:16:23,660 of those accelerators. 193 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,140 Now, it's one thing to put those accelerators 194 00:16:28,140 --> 00:16:28,980 into a data center. 195 00:16:29,140 --> 00:16:31,760 And some data centers have as many as 100,000 of those 196 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:33,780 operating at the same time and one location. 197 00:16:34,660 --> 00:16:35,820 But what are they doing? 198 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:37,540 It is kind of the other question. 199 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,500 And I had made a comment that we're getting to the point 200 00:16:40,500 --> 00:16:43,520 where they're so smart, we might not be able to turn them off. 201 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:45,440 I said we were at the point of no return. 202 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,340 And in the week that followed Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, 203 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,440 Darial Amadi, President Obama, all spoke about this. 204 00:16:54,540 --> 00:16:57,480 The three of them wrote essays that were exactly the same 205 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:59,800 length as the essay that I gave you for review. 206 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:04,080 Now, this is where we are right now for debt. 207 00:17:04,580 --> 00:17:09,040 So this is, I did use chatGPT to help me out here. 208 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:12,020 I'm trying to figure out when other computers 209 00:17:12,020 --> 00:17:20,960 going to be as smart as people. Okay, so I had chat GPT graph out different mammals and basically 210 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:29,340 the processing power of difference. Humans are right here. A data center, like a large 211 00:17:29,340 --> 00:17:36,220 $50 million, $100 million data center, had, basically, on a variety of people, 10 years 212 00:17:36,220 --> 00:17:41,920 ago. It's very likely that there's AI consciousness in data centers not today. In about 213 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:46,020 five years in 2030, you're going to be able to buy that same capability for ten thousand 214 00:17:46,020 --> 00:17:47,540 dollars and put it on your desk. 215 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:52,120 So that's where we are right now. 216 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:59,920 And the reason I'm really, really concerned about this, because the AI models can make biological 217 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:00,560 weapons. 218 00:18:01,260 --> 00:18:03,260 They can write viruses on a prompt. 219 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:08,740 And right now, the AI companies will tell you that, you know, their scar 220 00:18:08,740 --> 00:18:13,080 rails that you can't do that, but you can download ones with the guard rails stripped off, 221 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:16,180 you can train them yourself, and you can disconnect them from the internet, and they 222 00:18:16,180 --> 00:18:17,580 will write this stuff. 223 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,140 And this thing that you can buy will print it, and it's not controlled. 224 00:18:23,140 --> 00:18:27,360 So I'm going to lead you these charts, I'll pick them up in a few weeks, and thank you for 225 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:27,820 the grant. 226 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:28,980 Thank you sir. 227 00:18:29,900 --> 00:18:31,320 There's a little for you to look at. 228 00:18:34,340 --> 00:18:34,780 Thank you. 229 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:35,120 Thank you. 230 00:18:35,740 --> 00:18:36,920 Thank you. 231 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:38,300 I'm next speaker, please. 232 00:18:48,420 --> 00:18:51,840 I'm Gordon Boyd, 99 State Street, Saratova Springs. 233 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:57,300 I wish to thank Supervisor Berger and Sangvi for recently advancing a proposal at the County 234 00:18:57,300 --> 00:19:02,620 Board of Supervisors to have the last call in the bars at 3 AM rather than four. 235 00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:07,520 A adoption of this measure would improve public safety throughout the county, reduce the late 236 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:12,900 night brawls, motor vehicle offenses, and will also help the city of Saratova Springs reduce 237 00:19:12,900 --> 00:19:14,960 over time and thereby save money. 238 00:19:15,340 --> 00:19:18,820 Now, this is something that the county has to do in order for the city to get the benefit. 239 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,600 We can't close the bars early on our own. 240 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:26,880 But thanks are also due to Commissioner of Public Safety Tim Call for his public support 241 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:28,480 of Supervisor Berger's proposal. 242 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:34,040 Unfortunately, improving public safety and safety money are not enough for all supervisors in Boston 243 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:34,480 Spa. 244 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:39,900 Because the Board's Public Safety Committee, unfortunately, voted down this proposal 245 00:19:39,900 --> 00:19:46,380 on September 1st. The committee chair Scott Ostrander failed to support it. He is the supervisor 246 00:19:46,380 --> 00:19:51,180 of the town of Milton, where so many of the Saratoma Springs bar customers reside and to 247 00:19:51,180 --> 00:19:56,620 where they drive home after hours of partying in our city. It makes you wonder if he is thinking 248 00:19:56,620 --> 00:20:01,800 about the well-being of his own constituents. And there's another person who shares the spotlight 249 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:06,900 of blame with supervisor Ostrander. I refer to the chairman of the town of Milton Republican Party, 250 00:20:06,900 --> 00:20:12,240 an individual whose civic responsibility is to support and reelect Mr. Ostrander and to 251 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,200 helpfully explain the supervisor's positions to the public. 252 00:20:16,020 --> 00:20:20,860 I refer to a Riley Flint, who, in addition to being the Milton Town Republican Chairman, 253 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,180 is also the Deputy Commissioner of Finance in Saratova Springs. 254 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:28,180 Mr. Flint lives in the town of Milton, not Saratova Springs. 255 00:20:28,580 --> 00:20:34,500 His day job in our city ostensibly includes advising Commissioner Kieranin about the cost 256 00:20:34,500 --> 00:20:40,140 of the police department over time that we pay for and how to fit these costs into the upcoming 257 00:20:40,140 --> 00:20:40,640 budget. 258 00:20:41,540 --> 00:20:45,780 I see Commissioner on Channel 6 that you are concerned about the expenses facing the city. 259 00:20:46,460 --> 00:20:50,080 Perhaps you should confer with Deputy Commissioner Flint and C.V. He can prevail on his 260 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:56,580 very own supervisor to help the city hold down the cost of police over time. And while 261 00:20:56,580 --> 00:21:00,640 you are at it, Commissioner, you could also save some money by not removing the flock 262 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:08,000 camera contract when it comes up in November. We and no many other people want to feel safe from 263 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:14,060 constant surveillance and also keep our taxes down. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker 264 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:15,840 point. 265 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:26,660 Good evening. This is me and the boss art with the Sarah Tugasprings preservation foundation. 266 00:21:26,660 --> 00:21:37,060 We received the revised UDO amendments yesterday, and we are currently reviewing them. 267 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:44,940 We are disappointed that the changes to – there were not significant changes in architectural 268 00:21:44,940 --> 00:21:45,980 review districts. 269 00:21:46,380 --> 00:21:53,300 It largely is a demolition delay ordinance that will place the final determination of every 270 00:21:53,300 --> 00:21:57,300 building that's proposed to be demolished within the hands of the city council. 271 00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:04,560 If the city council chooses to move forward with that aspect of the ordinance, I would strongly 272 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:11,680 encourage the city council to wait and do until there's a comprehensive building survey to 273 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:18,620 understand which buildings are contributing architecturally to our gateways or should be designated 274 00:22:18,620 --> 00:22:21,040 as part of our historic districts. 275 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:23,580 These buildings should not be designated 276 00:22:23,580 --> 00:22:25,750 purely in a reactive way, 277 00:22:26,540 --> 00:22:29,100 only when a demolition approval is being put forth. 278 00:22:29,740 --> 00:22:29,980 We believe... 279 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:37,420 It should be done, not in a reactive way, I just said that backwards. Great. All right. 280 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:46,180 The designation of building should be done in a proactive way, not in a reactionary way to a one-off demolition application. 281 00:22:47,340 --> 00:22:53,000 And so with that, that's all I will say at this time, we will continue to review it and provide our comments. Thank you so much for the opportunity. 282 00:22:55,500 --> 00:22:58,280 Thank you. Next speaker, please. 283 00:23:09,310 --> 00:23:15,710 Both the capabilities and the threat of AI as a whole have been somewhat overstated. 284 00:23:16,670 --> 00:23:21,610 It basically tells people what they want to hear to some degree in analyzes, but without 285 00:23:21,610 --> 00:23:27,450 human oversight, it's overreliance is basically a liability. 286 00:23:28,830 --> 00:23:34,010 As to the threat, that's as a weak point in that is already been pointed out. 287 00:23:34,010 --> 00:23:38,350 The classical amount of power it requires is its vulnerability. 288 00:23:39,170 --> 00:23:42,610 If for some reason it did start to get completely out of hand, 289 00:23:43,670 --> 00:23:47,670 anything that would shut down the power supply would shut down the AI itself. 290 00:23:50,300 --> 00:23:53,620 Old school physics provides plenty of answers there. 291 00:23:55,160 --> 00:24:01,680 As to license plate raiders, well, key question is how they're being used. 292 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:08,220 On the front of a police cruise or whistling off, there's air to double-check the data, they can be a life-staving advantage 293 00:24:08,900 --> 00:24:16,720 informing them if there is a reason to believe the individual inside the crayavyacle out of them as a threat, if the vehicle's been stolen, etc. 294 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:26,220 On the side of the school bus, they provide an obvious deterrent to people just ignoring that stop sign and a way to hold them accountable if they do. 295 00:24:27,220 --> 00:24:33,660 But if they are used to monitor a large area all at once, that's a whole 296 00:24:33,660 --> 00:24:34,980 other can of worms. 297 00:24:36,100 --> 00:24:39,060 And one that needs to be considered very, very carefully. 298 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:40,820 Thank you. 299 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:41,700 Thank you. 300 00:24:45,060 --> 00:24:47,020 But anyone else, like to speak tonight, 301 00:24:51,380 --> 00:24:55,680 so we'll close public comment with any of the 302 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,120 commissioners, like to respond to, I think tonight. 303 00:24:58,420 --> 00:24:59,160 I will respond. 304 00:24:59,320 --> 00:24:59,780 Thank you, Mayor. 305 00:25:01,140 --> 00:25:09,480 I do want to respond to the flock, the company flock and the license plate readers, and I first 306 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,960 wanted to just address Mr. Cofflin. 307 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:19,500 Approximately 10 days ago we had a very large evacuation in our city, and we had to evacuate 308 00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:24,340 110 units from the Raymond Walkins apartment complex, and I was a very, very difficult 309 00:25:24,340 --> 00:25:28,720 operation, and our fire department did a tremendous job, and I just want to recognize Mr. 310 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:34,380 confident he is volunteer of the Red Cross and he's stepped up and to help and we certainly 311 00:25:34,380 --> 00:25:35,780 do appreciate it. 312 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:38,400 Thank you for that. 313 00:25:39,060 --> 00:25:44,360 On the license plate readers are going to go through it and explain my position on it from 314 00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:44,820 the beginning. 315 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:53,240 So the first question that comes to mind for me is it a legal technique or is it a lawful 316 00:25:54,180 --> 00:26:00,520 and I went back and I looked at the case law, a lot of it's in the courts now, but what's 317 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:05,480 still out to me is a case in Norfolk, Virginia, actually the eastern district of Virginia 318 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:12,040 in January of 2026, folks were suing the Norfolk Police Department. 319 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:18,920 In our opinion, in order set forth by Judge Davis, from the eastern district of Virginia, 320 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,700 And I wanted to just read a couple of citations, 321 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:22,860 so people understand. 322 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:24,740 And this is a quote. 323 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,280 Flot cameras do not provide information 324 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:29,740 to users about the location of individuals 325 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:34,700 beyond public roadways or outside of vehicles, end quote. 326 00:26:34,780 --> 00:26:37,280 Meaning that unlike a cell phone or ankle monitor, 327 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:41,600 they do not quote follow individuals inside building 328 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:43,340 homes or anywhere else. 329 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,960 They photograph vehicles on the public roadways 330 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:48,880 with a stationary cameras are located. 331 00:26:51,590 --> 00:26:56,910 And there's a second citation that I want to add, and this is on page 3 of the decision, 332 00:26:57,530 --> 00:27:03,030 Federal and State Courts analyzing license plate reader claims have almost uniformly concluded 333 00:27:03,030 --> 00:27:09,150 that neither taking photos of the license plate of a vehicle on a public roadway, nor maintaining 334 00:27:09,150 --> 00:27:12,670 requiring a database of licemplate reader photos, 335 00:27:13,170 --> 00:27:16,170 constitutes a warm-lit, warm-lit, warm-lit search, 336 00:27:17,110 --> 00:27:19,210 and it gives the citations of collecting cases. 337 00:27:19,750 --> 00:27:23,250 In parentheses, collecting cases, demonstrating that nearly 338 00:27:23,250 --> 00:27:25,970 every court that has addressed the issue has held 339 00:27:25,970 --> 00:27:28,570 that the queries of licemplate reader databases 340 00:27:29,190 --> 00:27:32,030 do not constitute Fourth Amendment searches. 341 00:27:33,030 --> 00:27:36,390 Now, obviously, as we move forward and technology advances, 342 00:27:36,390 --> 00:27:41,230 technology becomes more intrusive. The courts could look at the collection and 343 00:27:41,230 --> 00:27:45,450 houses of this information and come to a different determination and that could 344 00:27:45,450 --> 00:27:50,150 happen someday, but today is not that day. So that's my position when we look for 345 00:27:50,150 --> 00:27:54,890 balance whether it's currently lawful and it is currently lawful. The second 346 00:27:54,890 --> 00:27:59,370 issue that we have, we have controls in place, as I mentioned earlier, last city 347 00:27:59,370 --> 00:28:06,370 council meeting. Actually, I misspoke. In set of seven policies, we have eight 348 00:28:06,370 --> 00:28:08,670 of license plate reader information. 349 00:28:09,510 --> 00:28:12,290 They are limited to supervisors and investigators only. 350 00:28:13,770 --> 00:28:18,630 We have a user ID and a password for each supervisor 351 00:28:18,630 --> 00:28:20,730 or investigator that makes a query. 352 00:28:21,330 --> 00:28:24,590 We conduct audits of the information routinely 353 00:28:24,590 --> 00:28:26,110 at least once a month. 354 00:28:26,730 --> 00:28:28,790 And then the third thing is, are they useful? 355 00:28:29,150 --> 00:28:32,770 And I'm glad we agree that they are extremely useful. 356 00:28:32,770 --> 00:28:39,290 I gave the example of the less meaning of how we removed the suspected person wanted for a 357 00:28:39,290 --> 00:28:41,210 homicide in Connecticut off our streets. 358 00:28:41,890 --> 00:28:46,970 We used it in the low-love burglary investigation to track the movements of vehicles, and 359 00:28:46,970 --> 00:28:51,990 we even used it in a stocking case in the Skidmore, the Ron Skidmore College. 360 00:28:52,590 --> 00:28:58,970 So those are the three factors that form my decision, but I also want the public to know 361 00:28:58,970 --> 00:29:01,070 Our contract is not expiring this fall. 362 00:29:01,430 --> 00:29:06,190 It is expiring in August of 2027. 363 00:29:06,810 --> 00:29:08,270 And I just want to explain that to you, 364 00:29:08,270 --> 00:29:11,510 because we were late getting the license plate 365 00:29:11,510 --> 00:29:14,030 with the operation, so that pushed the contract backwards. 366 00:29:15,510 --> 00:29:15,950 Thank you. 367 00:29:16,850 --> 00:29:19,950 I mean, obviously we are concerned about the controls, 368 00:29:20,630 --> 00:29:22,910 but we have to have confidence 369 00:29:22,910 --> 00:29:26,390 that our police department is functioning properly 370 00:29:26,390 --> 00:29:29,730 and following those, and I'm sure you're being sure of that. 371 00:29:30,210 --> 00:29:33,250 I do have a comment on AI. 372 00:29:34,310 --> 00:29:38,070 It was a conversation I had with our attorney today, and that is, 373 00:29:40,150 --> 00:29:41,110 we haven't talked about 374 00:29:41,110 --> 00:29:50,030 foils in a while, but I learned today that there are now AI agents that are foiling probably 375 00:29:50,030 --> 00:29:59,970 all over the country for information on PEOs and invoices and this sort of... 376 00:30:03,540 --> 00:30:14,500 The question comes in and it makes our people respond to give them all this information that I know that they're putting into a national database from marketing purposes. 377 00:30:15,220 --> 00:30:23,840 Felt can be abused, and we've finally gotten, we don't hear about our foil problems right now 378 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:28,960 because we pretty much got an under control, but now we're having AI agents, and so we're 379 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:35,760 talking right now about, you know, this is just wrong. But yet, if we get a foil, we 380 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:43,040 have no choice but to answer it. And so it's an AI is creating a whole different level 381 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:48,640 problems for us. So I just want to make you aware of that as we look into this more. 382 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:55,240 We have looking for all outstanding bills and any department anything and it's meant for them 383 00:30:55,240 --> 00:31:02,120 to sell the information to the collectors. Yeah they're using a foil to collect data that they're 384 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:09,140 going to use for their own marketing purposes. It's a very scary thing and the only way you can do this 385 00:31:09,140 --> 00:31:15,120 with an agent. You don't have 300 people calling every community asking for the, you know, presenting 386 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:21,180 these foils, but you can ask an AI agent to do that quite easily. Interesting, aren't it? 387 00:31:21,180 --> 00:31:22,820 It's legal. Okay. But they list. 388 00:31:22,980 --> 00:31:29,340 So our public comment. Now, we do have an executive session tonight and I'm going to, we 389 00:31:29,340 --> 00:31:34,240 shouldn't be very long if you want to hang out. It shouldn't take us too long. I moved 390 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:39,020 at the Council on the Goons and Executive Session regarding the matter of going as Hill, 391 00:31:39,220 --> 00:31:45,720 Inc. at all the verses, sir took spring planning board to talk about a proposed settlement. 392 00:31:45,940 --> 00:31:46,780 Is there a second? 393 00:31:46,780 --> 00:31:47,260 Second. 394 00:31:47,620 --> 00:31:48,580 Colors a second. 395 00:31:48,820 --> 00:31:50,080 All those in favor say aye. 396 00:31:50,500 --> 00:31:52,760 I will be in this room for just a few minutes. 397 00:31:56,150 --> 00:31:56,590 We're back in. 398 00:31:56,690 --> 00:31:57,050 We're back in. 399 00:31:57,050 --> 00:31:57,370 We're back in. 400 00:31:57,370 --> 00:31:57,730 We're back in. 401 00:31:57,870 --> 00:31:57,930 We're back in. 402 00:31:58,090 --> 00:31:58,570 We're back in. 403 00:32:00,530 --> 00:32:01,010 We're back in. 404 00:32:01,010 --> 00:32:01,290 Okay. 405 00:32:01,290 --> 00:32:02,930 Thank you for your patience, everybody. 406 00:32:04,030 --> 00:32:15,230 We will be adding in the agenda item to my agenda to settle this issue between 407 00:32:15,230 --> 00:32:18,250 Boynes Hill and Sir Tuckers, Frank Kleinburg. 408 00:32:18,930 --> 00:32:19,630 Did you want to? 409 00:32:21,130 --> 00:32:21,510 Yes, sir. 410 00:32:22,310 --> 00:32:23,310 This is a matter of the spend. 411 00:32:23,590 --> 00:32:25,710 I'm going into the course for a number of years. 412 00:32:26,070 --> 00:32:30,890 I've involved a party that, because of the planning, but they suit an planning board 413 00:32:30,890 --> 00:32:34,930 application over several years, our outside council, 414 00:32:35,050 --> 00:32:38,950 and Minulmanics, has appeared for us on behalf of the Planning Board, 415 00:32:39,270 --> 00:32:41,930 and on behalf of the other city employees and personnel 416 00:32:41,930 --> 00:32:44,650 who were named in the caption as Defendants. 417 00:32:45,090 --> 00:32:46,950 It was after a mediation session, 418 00:32:47,210 --> 00:32:50,030 but a month or so ago, the resolution was proposed, 419 00:32:50,710 --> 00:32:54,990 another planning board meeting was held to review the application again, 420 00:32:55,710 --> 00:33:00,030 a planning board issued a decision that the plaintiff in the case, 421 00:33:00,030 --> 00:33:06,150 approved of, they were fine with it. And as a result, the signing of this settlement will settle 422 00:33:06,150 --> 00:33:11,030 all the cases against the city and any pending cases against city personnel by this individual 423 00:33:11,030 --> 00:33:17,750 will be dismissed. Okay, so I'll make that motion on my agenda when we get to it. 424 00:33:18,010 --> 00:33:21,190 So we move on to county supervisors who provides a burger. 425 00:33:21,870 --> 00:33:27,250 Well, yes, good evening. Thank you, Mayor. The first item on my agenda, I wanted to give a brief update 426 00:33:27,250 --> 00:33:31,210 on the county's horse racing, fire safety and prevention committee. 427 00:33:32,110 --> 00:33:36,490 We met again last night and at last night's meeting we approved our first set of recommendations 428 00:33:36,490 --> 00:33:43,670 for barn structures at New York State racetracks. This is a huge milestone in our meetings 429 00:33:43,670 --> 00:33:49,150 because we're actually making some significant progress in this topic. I think probably the most 430 00:33:49,150 --> 00:33:54,410 media of our focus areas as it involves state code. 431 00:33:55,210 --> 00:33:59,010 Just give you a couple examples of recommendations that the committee made. 432 00:33:59,670 --> 00:34:02,390 One, the committee recommended that fire resistant, 433 00:34:02,390 --> 00:34:05,630 resistive treatments be used on all barn structures in the 434 00:34:05,630 --> 00:34:07,010 York State, the race tracks. 435 00:34:08,190 --> 00:34:11,050 Two, there's a requirement for fire suppression. 436 00:34:11,890 --> 00:34:15,590 Either automatic sprinklers or an alternative fire protection 437 00:34:15,590 --> 00:34:22,170 systems such as water mist or non-toxic sprays, we're recommended as well. I intend to 438 00:34:22,170 --> 00:34:26,210 be sending a letter to the New York State Gaming Commission later this week, including 439 00:34:26,210 --> 00:34:31,770 the full set of recommendations that were voted on last night, and then we will continue to 440 00:34:31,770 --> 00:34:37,790 move through the other focus areas in the coming weeks. Item number two on my agenda is that 441 00:34:37,790 --> 00:34:44,450 today at the county board meeting, the county board voted to set a public hearing on a proposal 442 00:34:44,450 --> 00:34:50,670 to ban cradum and serve the sale of all products containing cradum and cradum itself in 443 00:34:50,670 --> 00:34:57,190 Saratoga County. The public hearing will be held after the large finance meeting on October 444 00:34:58,150 --> 00:35:04,190 14th at 430 p.m. at the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, 40 McMaster Street, 445 00:35:04,210 --> 00:35:09,790 Pulse and Spa. It's interesting because in the last couple of weeks since the last city council 446 00:35:09,790 --> 00:35:16,450 meeting when we discussed this, we've received an incredible number of emails from the public 447 00:35:16,450 --> 00:35:21,830 from people all over the country, all over the state on both sides of this issue that 448 00:35:21,830 --> 00:35:26,730 agree that the product, that the product should be banned, some people feel that the only 449 00:35:26,730 --> 00:35:30,130 this synthetic product should be banned and not the natural leaf cradum. 450 00:35:30,390 --> 00:35:34,390 It seems to be a rather complex issue and I just want to raise this up to the public 451 00:35:34,390 --> 00:35:47,110 and to the city council so that people are aware that there is a public hearing set in October and if people have further comments to send them along to the CERTA County Board of Supervisors in the meantime. 452 00:35:48,730 --> 00:36:02,210 Number three on my agenda, I wanted to just just just quick announcement that CERTA County is hosting a 2027 kickoff for the 250th anniversary of the battles of CERTAuga. 453 00:36:02,210 --> 00:36:08,570 This will be held Friday, October 9th at 10 a.m. at the Board of Supervisors meeting 454 00:36:08,570 --> 00:36:13,110 room in Balson Spa, and you can RSVP for that event to the county historian. 455 00:36:14,010 --> 00:36:14,810 Thank you very much. 456 00:36:14,970 --> 00:36:16,050 That completes my agenda. 457 00:36:16,530 --> 00:36:19,170 I have some prizes on me. 458 00:36:20,090 --> 00:36:29,760 Yeah, I think Supervisor Burger, colored most of what happened today, we did pass the local 459 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:36,180 law number 5, print number 1 of 20, 26 in title, local law authorizing full property tax exemption 460 00:36:36,180 --> 00:36:45,600 for certain 100% permanent and total service disabled veterans. So that did pass unanimously. 461 00:36:47,260 --> 00:36:53,180 And I know that the city is also considering something I had a conversation with Commissioner 462 00:36:53,180 --> 00:37:00,760 choice you about it, and again, available for any questions or discussions. 463 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:02,100 Thank you. 464 00:37:02,240 --> 00:37:03,120 Thank you. 465 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:11,380 And to my agenda, so I moved to Ed and agenda item, that's my motion, is there a second? 466 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:13,060 Second. 467 00:37:13,060 --> 00:37:16,000 All those in favor say aye. 468 00:37:17,500 --> 00:37:23,320 Now I make a motion to accept. 469 00:37:24,220 --> 00:37:26,380 How do I put it so accept the? 470 00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:29,900 It would be to accept the proposed settlement. 471 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:31,980 Regiment in the matter of. 472 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:36,500 Wina's Hill's innρίance of public police service, planning board at L. s. presented. 473 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:40,100 That is our... did you get that? 474 00:37:40,100 --> 00:37:41,720 got that? Is there a second? 475 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:43,020 Second? 476 00:37:43,380 --> 00:37:43,660 Second? 477 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:47,060 Turn in any discussion on this? Will you say it. 478 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:49,560 So, all those in favor say aye. 479 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:50,200 Aye? 480 00:37:50,340 --> 00:37:50,400 Aye. 481 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:51,700 And you're posed saying aye. 482 00:37:52,300 --> 00:37:55,820 Nope, extensions that matter past is 5.0. Thank you. 483 00:37:55,820 --> 00:38:09,920 Next is a update from the chair of our commission, our charter commission, Vince DeLean 484 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:10,580 Addis. 485 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:12,240 Go ahead. 486 00:38:14,670 --> 00:38:14,930 Thank you. 487 00:38:15,330 --> 00:38:16,370 Good evening, Mayor. 488 00:38:16,630 --> 00:38:18,170 Commissioners, supervisors. 489 00:38:19,410 --> 00:38:23,310 Vince DeLean, orders on the chair of the charter review commission, and I would just 490 00:38:23,310 --> 00:38:28,650 to take a few minutes this evening to provide an update and to address the determination that was 491 00:38:28,650 --> 00:38:34,310 made last week by the County Board of Elections. As you know, the County Board of Elections 492 00:38:34,310 --> 00:38:39,530 is comprised of two election commissioners, commissioners, Sarata, and Commissioner Begramian 493 00:38:39,530 --> 00:38:45,590 and last week they indicated that they were split or divided in their decision to place our proposed 494 00:38:45,590 --> 00:38:51,330 amendments to the city charter on the ballot for this year's election in November. As there are 495 00:38:51,330 --> 00:38:57,190 only two commissioners, it is necessarily requires both to agree in order before a matter 496 00:38:57,190 --> 00:39:00,370 to be placed on the ballot and they both could not agree. 497 00:39:01,110 --> 00:39:05,730 As I understand it, Commissioner Sarada was in favor of placing our proposals on the ballot, 498 00:39:06,170 --> 00:39:08,150 but Commissioner Benjamin was not. 499 00:39:09,190 --> 00:39:13,890 The issue ultimately boils down to a conflict that exists between two separate provisions 500 00:39:13,890 --> 00:39:19,230 of state law relating to the timing and the submission of ballot questions, and specifically 501 00:39:19,230 --> 00:39:25,830 the conflict between the municipal homeral law and the election law. Last year, when Mayor 502 00:39:25,830 --> 00:39:30,590 Stafford established the Charter Review Commission, he did so, and accordance with the 503 00:39:30,590 --> 00:39:37,370 provisions of Section 36 of the Municipal Homeral Law. Section 36, governs not just the 504 00:39:37,370 --> 00:39:43,710 creation of a Charter Review Commission, but also the organization and operation of a commission, 505 00:39:43,710 --> 00:39:54,250 and the specific timelines under which they are legally required to finalize and file their work with the office of the city clerk. 506 00:39:55,110 --> 00:40:03,990 Section 365B mandates that a charter review commission provide for submission of its proposed charter or amendments, 507 00:40:03,990 --> 00:40:12,010 quote to the electors of the city at a general or special election held not earlier than 60 508 00:40:12,010 --> 00:40:17,870 days after the filing thereof in the office of the city clerk. The section further provides 509 00:40:17,870 --> 00:40:26,090 that quote, if such general election occurs within 90 days after said filing, the proposed charter 510 00:40:26,090 --> 00:40:32,790 or amendment shall be submitted at such general election. The municipal homeeral law creates a specific 511 00:40:32,790 --> 00:40:39,110 60 to 90 day window before the general election for the commission to file its work. 512 00:40:39,710 --> 00:40:46,230 And if it is filed during this 60 to 90 day period, the proposal must be placed on the ballot. 513 00:40:47,490 --> 00:40:52,530 The election law, on the other hand, establishes general transmittal requirements by which the 514 00:40:52,530 --> 00:40:58,270 city clerk must transmit certified copies of the proposed ballot question to the county board 515 00:40:58,270 --> 00:41:06,370 elections. Section 4-108 of the election law had historically required the clerk to forward 516 00:41:06,370 --> 00:41:13,490 ballot proposals at least 36 days before the general election, and this operated in harmony 517 00:41:13,490 --> 00:41:18,970 with the municipal homeral law. Using the date of this year's general election of November 518 00:41:18,970 --> 00:41:24,750 third, as an example, under the municipal homeral law, the commission would be required to 519 00:41:24,750 --> 00:41:33,470 is work with the city clerk between the dates of August 5th and September 4th in order to be within the 60-90 day window. 520 00:41:34,170 --> 00:41:43,270 The city clerk would then have until September 28th to transmit certified copies to the Board of Elections to be consistent with the 36-day requirement. 521 00:41:44,010 --> 00:41:47,990 These timeframes worked and were consistent with each other. 522 00:41:48,710 --> 00:42:09,290 However, several years ago, the legislature amended section 4-108 of the election law to align with the Federal Move Act, relating to our overseas military members, and they extended that 36-day requirement for the City Clerk to transmit certified copies to, quote, at least three months prior to the general election. 523 00:42:09,290 --> 00:42:24,390 In making this change, though the legislature did not make a corresponding change or adjustment to the 60 to 90 day requirement of the municipal home rolloff, creating a clear conflict and inconsistency between the two laws. 524 00:42:25,410 --> 00:42:38,390 So if we again use the date of this year's general election of November 3rd, the city clerk is now required to submit certified copies of ballot proposations to the Board of Elections by August 3rd 525 00:42:38,390 --> 00:42:42,110 to comply with the three-month requirement of the election law. 526 00:42:42,770 --> 00:42:44,190 But under the municipal home rule, 527 00:42:44,190 --> 00:42:48,010 the commission is required to file as proposal with the city clerk 528 00:42:48,010 --> 00:42:50,390 no earlier than August 5th, 529 00:42:51,330 --> 00:42:56,370 and no later than September 4th in order to comply with the 16 and 90 day filing requirement. 530 00:42:57,310 --> 00:42:59,970 In other words, and as our city attorney noted, 531 00:43:00,210 --> 00:43:02,750 previously in his correspondence to the Board of Elections, 532 00:43:03,570 --> 00:43:06,390 the election law now requires the city clerk 533 00:43:06,390 --> 00:43:15,550 to transmit to the Board of Elections something which the Municipal Homeral Law does not yet even require the city clerk to have. 534 00:43:16,290 --> 00:43:24,350 In amending the election law and not providing for a corresponding amendment to the Municipal Homeral Law, the legislature created a conflict, 535 00:43:24,930 --> 00:43:30,610 rendering it structurally and legally impossible to comply with the timing requirements of each law. 536 00:43:30,610 --> 00:43:39,930 conflicts or inconsistencies between provisions of state law are, unfortunately, not as uncommon as one would expect. 537 00:43:40,850 --> 00:43:47,290 Fortunately, the legislature, at least thought well enough to contemplate that there could be such a possibility, 538 00:43:48,050 --> 00:43:59,290 and it expressly included provisions in both the municipal homer law and the election law, to address which law prevails in the event of such an inconsistency. 539 00:43:59,290 --> 00:44:19,650 In fact, municipal homeroleau at Section 366G provides quote, the provisions of the election law or any other law relating to the submission of questions at general elections so far as the same are applicable and not inconsistent herewith shall apply to a question submitted. 540 00:44:19,650 --> 00:44:27,830 Election law, section 1-102, likewise provides, quote, where a specific provision of law 541 00:44:27,830 --> 00:44:33,590 exists in any other law, which is inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter, 542 00:44:34,330 --> 00:44:35,770 such provision shall apply. 543 00:44:37,050 --> 00:44:42,830 Here, the legislature clearly and expressly designed the municipal home 544 00:44:42,830 --> 00:44:48,550 law to supersede the election law. And it clearly and expressly designed the election 545 00:44:48,550 --> 00:44:54,090 law to be superseded by the municipal homer law in the event there is an inconsistency 546 00:44:54,090 --> 00:44:59,370 between the two provisions and there is clearly an inconsistency between the two provisions. 547 00:45:00,240 --> 00:45:08,740 The clearest indication of legislative intent is always the statutory language itself, when you give effect to its plain meaning. 548 00:45:09,580 --> 00:45:19,580 Here, the provisions of both laws expressly state that the election law must yield to the conflicting timing and procedural requirements of the municipal homer law. 549 00:45:19,580 --> 00:45:25,700 And there is no question that the submission by the Charter Review Commission was in full 550 00:45:25,700 --> 00:45:30,940 conformance with the timing and procedural requirements of the Municipal Romeral Law. 551 00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:36,660 That Commissioner Bragrimian relied on the inapplicable and superseded provisions of the 552 00:45:36,660 --> 00:45:42,180 election law to block our legally valid proposal from being placed in the ballot is unfortunate. 553 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:48,680 She could have, and I would argue, should have consulted with her own county attorney and such 554 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:55,560 issue. Instead it appears that she relied on the opinion of a local, political, party chair. 555 00:45:56,680 --> 00:46:00,200 The only recourse against the Board of Elections would be the commencement of an action 556 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:05,460 in Sirator County Supreme Court requesting an order compelling the Board to perform their 557 00:46:05,460 --> 00:46:10,900 ministerial duty in place the proposal on the ballot. While we believe that such an action 558 00:46:10,900 --> 00:46:16,040 would have merit and would be warranted, we do not feel it is appropriate to ask the city 559 00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:21,420 or the taxpayers to incur the necessary costs associated with such an action. 560 00:46:22,300 --> 00:46:27,240 The Charter Review Commission's proposal could also be moved to a special election. 561 00:46:28,080 --> 00:46:32,040 But again, we do not believe this is the best court to take given the costs 562 00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:36,140 and the low voter turnout that typically comes with a special election. 563 00:46:36,940 --> 00:46:41,580 Instead, we believe it would be most appropriate to work toward placing this matter 564 00:46:41,580 --> 00:46:46,280 on the ballot for next year's general election, and we would ask the mayor to consider 565 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:52,240 establishing a commission under section 36 of the municipal home roll-off utilizing the members 566 00:46:52,240 --> 00:46:58,980 of the current commission to allow it to continue its work. The charter commission has already 567 00:46:58,980 --> 00:47:03,740 provided for the most significant updates and improvements to our charter that has occurred since 568 00:47:03,740 --> 00:47:10,400 it was originally adopted some 25 years ago. Between local law number 4 and local law number 5 569 00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:17,380 of 2026 more than 40 amendments that were proposed as part of our phase one work have already 570 00:47:17,380 --> 00:47:22,920 been implemented. The amendments proposed as part of our phase two work and which are intended 571 00:47:22,920 --> 00:47:28,300 to be placed on the ballot for voter consideration are meant to further strengthen and improve 572 00:47:28,300 --> 00:47:35,080 our existing charter provide for organizational upgrades increase transparency and accountability 573 00:47:35,080 --> 00:47:37,640 and be completely a budget neutral. 574 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:44,000 Moving the ballot question from this year's general election to next year's would simply allow 575 00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:50,080 for greater opportunity for the commission to inform and educate the public on those proposed amendments. 576 00:47:50,840 --> 00:47:56,380 And while it is unfortunate that the divided board of elections prevented the public from having the ability 577 00:47:56,380 --> 00:48:02,560 to decide this important ballot issue this year, we should make sure they do not do so next year. 578 00:48:02,560 --> 00:48:08,060 And in that regard, we would also ask that the City Attorney, who was also legal counsel 579 00:48:08,060 --> 00:48:12,560 for the Charter Review Commission, seek an opinion and clarification from the Attorney 580 00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:17,600 General's Office on how to address the conflict that clearly exists between the election 581 00:48:17,600 --> 00:48:23,660 law and the municipal home or law to ensure that this issue does not repeat itself next 582 00:48:23,660 --> 00:48:24,340 year. 583 00:48:25,340 --> 00:48:25,560 Thank you. 584 00:48:25,660 --> 00:48:26,740 I don't know if there any questions. 585 00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:27,140 Thank you. 586 00:48:27,480 --> 00:48:29,920 I don't think I can do it until I have to do the election. 587 00:48:31,080 --> 00:48:33,680 I'm definitely taking that under consideration. 588 00:48:34,520 --> 00:48:36,720 Yeah, it's a thing that happened. 589 00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:39,480 Yeah, I'm going to say it is quite unfortunate. 590 00:48:39,740 --> 00:48:41,920 I know you guys did a lot of hard work on this. 591 00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:45,720 And I appreciate and respect your recommendations, 592 00:48:46,420 --> 00:48:49,860 and especially if the city attorney could reach out to the attorney general 593 00:48:49,860 --> 00:48:54,400 just to get clarification on the conflict between the two laws 594 00:48:54,400 --> 00:48:56,940 is I think what I'm very important to do. 595 00:48:57,580 --> 00:48:59,780 So, thanks for that explanation. 596 00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:01,940 We need to get that on the record. 597 00:49:02,220 --> 00:49:06,560 Can you send that to us so I could just have it with my charter? 598 00:49:07,660 --> 00:49:10,440 What you just read, so I can just keep it with it with all my documents. 599 00:49:11,100 --> 00:49:11,420 Thank you. 600 00:49:11,560 --> 00:49:17,200 I will say as the city clerk, I was really disappointed in the fact that 601 00:49:18,180 --> 00:49:24,760 literally the exact rule that they used to fight the supervisor issue, 602 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:32,020 which I agreed to say let's compromise on they use the exact opposite argument using that 603 00:49:32,020 --> 00:49:37,900 same municipal home rule law to then fight this. And I find that rather ironic that they 604 00:49:37,900 --> 00:49:44,780 decided to use the same municipal home rule and in one case said oh no the city municipal 605 00:49:44,780 --> 00:49:49,840 home rule charter trumps the county and then fast forward three months and we're using the same 606 00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:57,160 argument, just the other side of it, to argue why we can't, why ours doesn't stand up against it. 607 00:49:57,180 --> 00:49:58,320 I was really disappointed. 608 00:49:59,140 --> 00:50:00,040 Well, it's not a new record. 609 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:03,360 And the claim that it was not transparent because everything was open. 610 00:50:04,580 --> 00:50:10,260 And if I may, I would also like to add that several years ago, I served as a member of a Charter 611 00:50:10,260 --> 00:50:11,040 Review Commission. 612 00:50:11,620 --> 00:50:13,200 I know how much work it is. 613 00:50:13,580 --> 00:50:19,620 I know how much effort you guys have taken in doing this work, and it must be very disappointing 614 00:50:19,620 --> 00:50:25,980 that this outcome has taken place, I just wanted to thank you for all the work that you did. 615 00:50:26,300 --> 00:50:26,760 Thank you, Commissioner. 616 00:50:26,940 --> 00:50:27,620 Very much. 617 00:50:27,680 --> 00:50:27,980 Thank you. 618 00:50:28,220 --> 00:50:30,620 Mr. Mayor, can I see something to... 619 00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:36,020 I served with B.K. on the charter review commission, so I do know how much work it is. 620 00:50:36,880 --> 00:50:39,840 And really appreciate all the effort that you all have put in, 621 00:50:39,840 --> 00:50:42,560 especially with Facebook and Facebook and all of that. 622 00:50:42,760 --> 00:50:45,480 And just the point of clarification, 623 00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:53,200 And if you had submitted the stuff before August, what is a third, then there wouldn't 624 00:50:53,200 --> 00:51:00,080 have been an issue of the election commissioners, Serrada, and back Romanian, back, the 625 00:51:00,080 --> 00:51:00,460 great. 626 00:51:00,580 --> 00:51:04,880 The Grameian, even having to have any input, right? 627 00:51:05,540 --> 00:51:09,720 That would have then been compliant with the election all, but it would have been outside 628 00:51:09,720 --> 00:51:12,620 of the dates that were set forth in the municipal homeral law. 629 00:51:12,620 --> 00:51:15,620 We had to bring one tour placement on the ballot. 630 00:51:15,860 --> 00:51:20,840 The municipal home will always pretty clear that it has to be filed within that 60 to 90 day window. 631 00:51:21,660 --> 00:51:25,640 The 90 day period brings it to us far out as August 5th. 632 00:51:25,820 --> 00:51:31,100 The three month window, because for some reason they decided to use a month calendar instead 633 00:51:31,100 --> 00:51:33,960 of a day calendar, but three months does not equal 90 days. 634 00:51:34,340 --> 00:51:36,060 You have multiple month 30, one days. 635 00:51:36,740 --> 00:51:39,700 So that brings it to August 3rd under the election law. 636 00:51:39,700 --> 00:51:43,100 We couldn't have filed until August 5th under the municipal home roll-off. 637 00:51:43,140 --> 00:51:44,700 And when was it actually filed? 638 00:51:45,620 --> 00:51:50,180 August 28th, but keep in mind under the municipal home roll-off, we had until September 4th. 639 00:51:50,520 --> 00:51:55,300 Right, so if you had filed it, August 3rd and 5th, it may have passed without them. 640 00:51:55,440 --> 00:51:57,360 It does not necessarily mean it would have been correct. 641 00:51:57,560 --> 00:52:03,260 I know other municipalities have done this and got it on the ballot, but there is a clear conflict between the two laws. 642 00:52:04,040 --> 00:52:08,040 And when there is that conflict between the election law and the municipal home roll-off, 643 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:13,200 you have to look at the legislators intent on which of those two laws prevail and the language 644 00:52:13,200 --> 00:52:19,460 in both of those laws are clear and on ambiguous that the election law yields to the municipal 645 00:52:19,460 --> 00:52:19,800 rule. 646 00:52:20,640 --> 00:52:29,240 This is again very sad, very sad, and political, thank you, yes, thank you very much, let me give you 647 00:52:29,240 --> 00:52:29,980 I'm a... 648 00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:31,580 Next agenda item. 649 00:52:34,100 --> 00:52:47,540 I move for the council to approve the re-departments request to pay an invoice for $49.31 national landscaping, and long that is my motion, is there a second? 650 00:52:54,260 --> 00:52:58,760 Okay, so I've made my motion in a curmati second. 651 00:52:58,760 --> 00:52:59,720 Thank you. 652 00:53:00,380 --> 00:53:05,900 This is a hydro-seed project that Wybel Avenue is coming to the Council for approval because 653 00:53:05,900 --> 00:53:08,600 when the service was rendered, and invoice was not provided. 654 00:53:09,520 --> 00:53:10,300 Any other discussion? 655 00:53:11,460 --> 00:53:12,720 All those in favour say aye? 656 00:53:13,340 --> 00:53:13,900 Any opposed? 657 00:53:14,040 --> 00:53:14,240 Aye. 658 00:53:14,540 --> 00:53:15,600 No abstentions? 659 00:53:16,600 --> 00:53:18,260 It may have passed its 50. 660 00:53:18,740 --> 00:53:24,560 On to I move that the Council of Proof of Payment of an invoice from Fitzgerald Morris Baker 661 00:53:24,560 --> 00:53:29,920 in the amount of $540, that's my motion, is there a second? Second. 662 00:53:30,520 --> 00:53:34,240 Sure, I'm out of seconds. This invoice requires counsel approval 663 00:53:34,240 --> 00:53:39,740 due to the work being performed prior to the purchase order being issued any other discussion. 664 00:53:41,140 --> 00:53:46,160 All those in favor say aye, aye, any opposed say nay, abstentions, aye. 665 00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:54,480 Next, I move for the council to approve pavement on invoice from 666 00:53:54,480 --> 00:54:01,940 him and stop in the amount of $3,029.60, that's my motion, is there a second? 667 00:54:02,300 --> 00:54:02,800 Second. 668 00:54:03,300 --> 00:54:05,260 I have a second from Kiran. 669 00:54:07,660 --> 00:54:12,440 This invoice again requires council approval due to the work being performed prior to 670 00:54:12,440 --> 00:54:15,420 purchase order being issued, any other discussion? 671 00:54:16,820 --> 00:54:19,620 All those in favor say aye, aye, any opposed say, 672 00:54:20,040 --> 00:54:22,500 nay, no abstentions, five zero. 673 00:54:23,560 --> 00:54:26,040 Okay, so next is I move for the council 674 00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:29,480 to accept the conveniences for the Liberty Housing Project 675 00:54:29,480 --> 00:54:32,300 as required by the Liberty Site Plan 676 00:54:32,300 --> 00:54:33,860 and attached to the agenda. 677 00:54:34,080 --> 00:54:36,080 That is my motion, is there a second? 678 00:54:37,380 --> 00:54:37,440 Second. 679 00:54:37,440 --> 00:54:39,180 Second is Kiranan. 680 00:54:39,180 --> 00:54:45,700 The site plan approval for the Liberty Housing Project requires the following. 681 00:54:45,700 --> 00:54:50,040 A conservation easement over 16 plus acres for the 682 00:54:50,040 --> 00:54:54,060 lot of liberty will retain for passive recreation purposes 683 00:54:54,620 --> 00:55:01,660 and to indeed in the city for three plus acres that the city can use for future recreation 684 00:55:01,660 --> 00:55:04,880 and the other discussion on this. 685 00:55:04,880 --> 00:55:09,240 those in favor say aye aye and you post aye aye nor extensions 686 00:55:09,240 --> 00:55:16,940 out of passes five zero. Next I these next are hospital issues. 687 00:55:17,140 --> 00:55:21,980 There's two of them. I move for the council to review a proposed amendment to the 688 00:55:21,980 --> 00:55:28,020 Saratoga Hospital PUD at 211 Church Street and to request advisory opinions 689 00:55:28,020 --> 00:55:34,080 from the Saratoga County Planning Board, the City Planning Board and the DRB is 690 00:55:34,080 --> 00:55:35,200 second. 691 00:55:36,540 --> 00:55:37,820 I have a second from Cole. 692 00:55:39,000 --> 00:55:40,940 This is a Miracle Review. 693 00:55:41,520 --> 00:55:47,760 The hospital proposes to add the two adjacent parcels purchased from the Spine Center 694 00:55:47,760 --> 00:55:49,640 in the corner there to the PUD. 695 00:55:50,400 --> 00:55:56,440 The are currently zone office medical business district that's 31 at 35 Murdoch Street. 696 00:55:56,940 --> 00:56:03,320 The hospital seeks modifications to build a parking structure in zone E6 where parking already 697 00:56:03,320 --> 00:56:10,020 exists, and it proposes language throughout the PUD to simplify and clarify various provisions. 698 00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:12,140 That's my discussion. 699 00:56:12,180 --> 00:56:14,640 Is there any other discussion on this? 700 00:56:15,440 --> 00:56:17,060 Well, those in favor say aye. 701 00:56:17,060 --> 00:56:17,580 Aye. 702 00:56:17,580 --> 00:56:18,220 Any opposed? 703 00:56:18,460 --> 00:56:18,620 Aye. 704 00:56:18,900 --> 00:56:19,800 No abstentions. 705 00:56:19,980 --> 00:56:20,800 That matter passes. 706 00:56:21,680 --> 00:56:22,260 Five, zero. 707 00:56:22,560 --> 00:56:22,920 Next. 708 00:56:24,080 --> 00:56:31,700 I move to initiate a coordinated secret review for a proposed amendment to the Siratoga Hospital 709 00:56:31,700 --> 00:56:38,280 PUD and seek lead agency status for the environmental review of the proposed action. 710 00:56:39,620 --> 00:56:40,360 That's my motion. 711 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:41,500 Do I have a second? 712 00:56:43,520 --> 00:56:43,940 Second. 713 00:56:44,080 --> 00:56:44,700 Second was coal. 714 00:56:45,260 --> 00:56:45,900 We good on it? 715 00:56:48,360 --> 00:56:50,060 This is a type one action. 716 00:56:50,660 --> 00:56:56,020 The involved agencies will include the planning board and the DRB. 717 00:56:56,280 --> 00:56:57,140 That's my discussion. 718 00:56:57,400 --> 00:56:59,120 Is there any other discussion in this? 719 00:56:59,120 --> 00:57:06,260 All those in favour say aye, aye, any opposed say nay, no abstentions, that matter passes 5-0. 720 00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:13,320 The last item is to set a public hearing, and I have some words to add to this. 721 00:57:13,620 --> 00:57:25,680 For local law number 6 of 2026, which amends the unified development ordinance articles 3-4-13-19-21 relative to land use board procedures. 722 00:57:25,680 --> 00:57:34,980 We will have that, that's something that we haven't, our next meeting starts at 6, right? 723 00:57:34,980 --> 00:57:36,020 For that compaget? 724 00:57:37,280 --> 00:57:44,880 But so we'll start this public hearing when you're done. 725 00:57:45,020 --> 00:57:45,960 I don't know how that works. 726 00:57:46,840 --> 00:57:47,480 Is it the answer? 727 00:57:50,390 --> 00:57:55,330 Okay, so next meeting starts at 6, because when I have a budget review, 728 00:57:55,330 --> 00:57:57,710 Um, I'm presenting the conflict. 729 00:57:57,910 --> 00:57:58,550 Is that anything? 730 00:57:59,710 --> 00:58:00,170 Okay. 731 00:58:00,690 --> 00:58:01,950 So, what'd you say? 732 00:58:03,230 --> 00:58:05,290 So, we will hit. 733 00:58:07,980 --> 00:58:09,780 So, Tony, should we just started at seven, 734 00:58:09,900 --> 00:58:13,140 so everybody knows we're starting at seven. 735 00:58:13,140 --> 00:58:13,300 Yeah. 736 00:58:13,460 --> 00:58:14,060 Let's do that. 737 00:58:14,340 --> 00:58:17,280 All of our legalists read at this time 738 00:58:17,280 --> 00:58:18,900 or assume they're after us, 739 00:58:19,000 --> 00:58:19,960 the matter can be reached. 740 00:58:20,620 --> 00:58:21,780 Well, I think in this case, 741 00:58:22,000 --> 00:58:23,880 it's important that a lot of people might talk, 742 00:58:23,980 --> 00:58:25,260 so let's start at seven. 743 00:58:25,880 --> 00:58:33,340 Or because if the confide you go ends earlier we just wait till 7 and if it goes later 744 00:58:33,340 --> 00:58:38,660 then it's as early as I would say I was just leave that language in there because that's a good 745 00:58:38,660 --> 00:58:43,400 catch all language vote. But so you can start at 7 and say at 7 or a suit there after 746 00:58:43,400 --> 00:58:44,620 is the matter can be reached. 747 00:58:44,960 --> 00:58:50,960 All right. So we'll do it at 7. So I have some words on this that I'd like to cover 748 00:58:50,960 --> 00:59:05,500 There's four areas. I'm going to talk about the scope. I want to talk some of our advisory opinions. I just want you to all be aware of what we've gone through already a timeline and then some thank you 749 00:59:05,500 --> 00:59:14,860 So I'm just going to read this. I'll take me a couple of minutes the city council establishes the city's land use policies and regulatory standards through legislation 750 00:59:14,860 --> 00:59:21,380 including the unified development ordinance, the UDO, the city's zoning ordinance, the city's 751 00:59:21,380 --> 00:59:27,100 land use boards administer those regulations and apply the standards established by the city council 752 00:59:27,100 --> 00:59:29,020 to individual applications. 753 00:59:29,820 --> 00:59:36,560 This amendment proposes no change to the stated purposes of the historic review or architectural review. 754 00:59:37,160 --> 00:59:42,140 This is a text amendment, not a map amendment, but there are no boundary changes to either 755 00:59:42,140 --> 00:59:48,200 overlay district. The authority and duties for the design review board have not changed except 756 00:59:48,200 --> 00:59:54,040 for the addition of reviewing the hardship appeal. The amendment targets the land use 757 00:59:54,040 --> 00:59:59,840 application, the land use application review process and intends to clarify. 758 01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:07,980 My procedures reduce delays, organize standards, and create a more defensible review framework. The changes 759 01:00:07,980 --> 01:00:16,000 also address comments received in 2021, from ship o, which is the State Historic Organization, 760 01:00:16,760 --> 01:00:23,720 to improve the designation procedure and address the lack of an appeal procedure. The council, 761 01:00:23,720 --> 01:00:25,580 This is our advisory. 762 01:00:26,000 --> 01:00:36,900 The council are a number that we requested advisory opinions from the city, the county planning boards, the DRB, and Shippo, as required for an amendment of the UDO. 763 01:00:37,480 --> 01:00:43,280 In July, we received those advisory opinions and their comments have informed the changes in the final draft. 764 01:00:43,780 --> 01:00:50,180 The reviews from the county planning board, city planning board, and Shippo were generally supportive of the UDO changes. 765 01:00:50,180 --> 01:01:01,640 Although the DRB advisory opinion did not support the amendment, the board supported several major elements of the amendment in clarifying review procedures as standards. 766 01:01:02,540 --> 01:01:12,220 The DRB's concern focused on the proposed demolition procedure for the architectural district and on the council and the council appeal procedure. 767 01:01:12,220 --> 01:01:21,680 We believe the final draft addresses the DRB's concerns and others who have expressed similar opinions, such as the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. 768 01:01:22,540 --> 01:01:28,360 The DRB also provided many other detailed comments which we have incorporated into the final draft. 769 01:01:28,360 --> 01:01:35,740 The city's special use council, Miller Manic Shacker and Hepter, has worked with us during this process. 770 01:01:36,300 --> 01:01:41,380 Their role is not to provide an opinion on merit or policy. They provide us legal guidance. 771 01:01:41,880 --> 01:01:45,720 We have also asked Shippur to send us their comments on the final draft. 772 01:01:47,000 --> 01:01:53,260 The timeline, the public hearing will be held at the City Council meetings on October 6, in October 20. 773 01:01:53,260 --> 01:01:58,600 The final drafts of these articles are posted on the website and attached to this agenda. 774 01:01:59,280 --> 01:02:03,120 We encourage the public to read the final draft documents. 775 01:02:03,720 --> 01:02:08,280 Once the public hearing is closed, the council will complete the secret type one action, 776 01:02:08,740 --> 01:02:12,020 followed by the vote to adopt local law number six. 777 01:02:12,480 --> 01:02:15,340 I do want to thank that this has been a collaborative effort. 778 01:02:15,820 --> 01:02:20,280 I want to thank a few people that share the planning board and the DRB. 779 01:02:20,280 --> 01:02:27,680 have given even more of their volunteer time to work with our team, and have done valuable 780 01:02:27,680 --> 01:02:30,980 and constructive feedback directly on behalf of the boards. 781 01:02:31,620 --> 01:02:38,460 We've also had productive discussions with our city historian, Matt Feach, and with Samantha 782 01:02:38,460 --> 01:02:44,400 Botzer, the preservation foundation, and we appreciate their time and expertise. 783 01:02:44,400 --> 01:02:52,960 And we have worked closely with our CLG coordinator at Shippo, the state, the Francis's person we talked to there. 784 01:02:53,420 --> 01:02:59,600 It was been fully engaged with us in delivering how best to solve these problems for guidance continues. 785 01:03:00,560 --> 01:03:06,820 This work on the amendment has energized the city's efforts to have a more active preservation program, 786 01:03:06,960 --> 01:03:13,120 and we believe it advances the recommendations from the city's 2001 historic preservation plan 787 01:03:13,120 --> 01:03:19,280 and the 2015 comprehensive plan and finally I want to thank our staff who handled the work 788 01:03:19,280 --> 01:03:24,940 associated with this amendment while continuing to manage heavy volumes of land use and permit 789 01:03:24,940 --> 01:03:30,000 applications. They are the professionals who work with our land use boards and the applicants 790 01:03:30,000 --> 01:03:36,880 to administer and comply with the regulations of the UDO. Thank you. We'll move on to accounts. 791 01:03:36,880 --> 01:03:39,100 Thank you. 792 01:03:39,660 --> 01:03:49,820 Our first item is to set the public hearing of ordinance to amend Chapter 212 Article 793 01:03:49,820 --> 01:03:54,760 5 of the Code of the City of Saratoga Springs entitled Veterans Tax Exemption. 794 01:03:55,900 --> 01:04:01,160 New York State passed legislation in the 26 budget that allows taxing authorities to adopt 795 01:04:01,160 --> 01:04:07,480 a 100% exemption from the assessed value of property, along with special districts for our 796 01:04:07,480 --> 01:04:10,660 disabled or OBGT veterans. 797 01:04:13,120 --> 01:04:16,080 The office is fully aware of any questions. 798 01:04:17,660 --> 01:04:20,320 It is a complicated as many to can tell you as well. 799 01:04:20,420 --> 01:04:22,720 It is a complicated exemption for sure. 800 01:04:23,840 --> 01:04:27,500 In summary is the following criteria would apply for this exemption. 801 01:04:28,700 --> 01:04:32,620 You have to meet either one or two. 802 01:04:32,780 --> 01:04:36,160 The first is released or discharged from service under honorable conditions. 803 01:04:36,160 --> 01:04:45,200 or have one of the following qualifying conditions where any service discharge or release was other than bad conduct or dissonable. 804 01:04:45,600 --> 01:04:53,660 That would include post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, military sexual trauma or have been discharged as an LBGT veteran. 805 01:04:54,720 --> 01:04:58,080 And then you also must have item three. 806 01:04:58,320 --> 01:05:06,060 You must be considered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to be permanently and totally disabled as a result of military service. 807 01:05:06,160 --> 01:05:12,740 at 100% as evidenced by a letter and official form or another document that specifically states 808 01:05:12,740 --> 01:05:18,020 such veteran is considered to be permanently and totally disabled as a result of such 809 01:05:18,740 --> 01:05:19,300 service. 810 01:05:20,340 --> 01:05:20,900 Good show. 811 01:05:21,300 --> 01:05:22,560 We're going to set that up. 812 01:05:22,960 --> 01:05:24,920 It almost sounds like they have the only one. 813 01:05:25,160 --> 01:05:27,460 Sixth and the twenty of those, the two days of the mix. 814 01:05:28,320 --> 01:05:28,400 Okay. 815 01:05:29,100 --> 01:05:30,160 That's four veterans. 816 01:05:31,400 --> 01:05:34,440 So we would like to set those public hearing for two weeks. 817 01:05:37,050 --> 01:05:49,250 Our second item is a discussion in vote to amend City Code Chapter 212 Article 3 of the Code of the City of Saratoga Springs, New York entitled Senior Citizens Tax Exemption. 818 01:05:50,610 --> 01:06:00,030 I move to amend City Code Chapter 12 Article 3 of the Code of the City of Saratoga Springs, New York entitled Senior Citizens Tax Exemption as a tax to the agenda. 819 01:06:00,030 --> 01:06:02,890 Here, that's our motion. Is there a second? 820 01:06:03,910 --> 01:06:06,470 I can turn in. Any discussion? 821 01:06:07,210 --> 01:06:09,110 Just as we've discussed in the public hearing, 822 01:06:09,230 --> 01:06:12,050 some of these last few weeks, it's to amend the Section of the Code 823 01:06:12,050 --> 01:06:15,210 relating to our senior citizen tax exemption by increasing it 824 01:06:15,210 --> 01:06:20,150 from 50 up to 65% in order to best aid those over age 65 825 01:06:20,150 --> 01:06:21,630 and help them remain in their homes. 826 01:06:22,290 --> 01:06:24,510 All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. 827 01:06:24,510 --> 01:06:27,150 Aye. You're posting a no-pcentions five-zero. 828 01:06:27,810 --> 01:06:34,670 And our last item is a discussion about its authorization for the mayor to sign the New York Municipal Insurance 829 01:06:34,670 --> 01:06:38,230 reciprocal subscriber agreement, NIMER. 830 01:06:39,910 --> 01:06:45,130 I moved to authorize the mayor to sign the New York Municipal Insurance reciprocal subscriber 831 01:06:45,130 --> 01:06:45,830 agreement. 832 01:06:46,410 --> 01:06:48,610 Yes, we discussed this at the preliminary. 833 01:06:49,330 --> 01:06:51,190 Do I have a second for that? 834 01:06:51,270 --> 01:06:51,490 Second. 835 01:06:52,110 --> 01:06:52,330 The second. 836 01:06:52,910 --> 01:06:53,650 Any other discussion? 837 01:06:55,130 --> 01:07:02,710 Back in January 1st of 2024, the city began a contract that had been signed the prior year with 838 01:07:02,710 --> 01:07:08,550 NIMER for insurance coverage which still continues to this day uninterrupted. However, an oversight 839 01:07:08,550 --> 01:07:14,390 by NIMER that they recently noticed the subscriber agreement which governs the municipality's membership 840 01:07:14,390 --> 01:07:19,650 and participation was actually never completed. So this is just to correct the oversight and 841 01:07:19,650 --> 01:07:26,610 the agreement, it does not affect our previous or ongoing or future insurance coverage in any way. 842 01:07:27,610 --> 01:07:29,990 Any other discussion? I hope I was in favor of say aye. 843 01:07:30,000 --> 01:07:34,200 I can be posting it, no extensions, whether it will end. 844 01:07:35,060 --> 01:07:36,120 It's on the finance. 845 01:07:36,360 --> 01:07:36,840 Happy view. 846 01:07:37,120 --> 01:07:37,840 Thank you. 847 01:07:38,080 --> 01:07:40,840 My first item is just an update on city finances. 848 01:07:42,080 --> 01:07:46,320 We put together a visual of where your tax dollars go. 849 01:07:46,580 --> 01:07:49,240 It's a high level overview of the scope of services. 850 01:07:49,760 --> 01:07:50,940 Each department provides. 851 01:07:51,680 --> 01:07:56,740 It's not an exhaustive representation of the work. Each department handles. 852 01:07:56,740 --> 01:08:01,400 there are many daily responsibilities, services, facilities, and behind-the-scenes functions 853 01:08:02,520 --> 01:08:05,040 that are not captured in this high-level B.I.U.I. 854 01:08:05,040 --> 01:08:08,900 welcome any commissioners if they want to drill down, they can. 855 01:08:10,060 --> 01:08:15,960 We just wanted to say where does your tax bid dollars go, so 60 cents on every dollar goes 856 01:08:15,960 --> 01:08:21,360 to DPS, 18 to D.P.W.s, six cents for the mayor, accounts, and five to finance and 857 01:08:24,380 --> 01:08:29,920 Public safety, there's a police department that calls for service 27,000, and these are 858 01:08:29,920 --> 01:08:35,660 2025 numbers, 944 arrests, you can see of course they do a lot more, but these are just 859 01:08:35,660 --> 01:08:40,520 again high-level things that the police department does, the fire departments, they receive 860 01:08:40,520 --> 01:08:48,160 about 7,000, not calls annually, they provide fire rescue hazard material full 24,7 operations, 861 01:08:48,160 --> 01:08:53,080 and then there's a traffic department for the traffic signals and regular 862 01:08:53,080 --> 01:09:00,940 choice signs and they paint the, I think the best way to describe our traffic 863 01:09:00,940 --> 01:09:06,600 maintenance department is signs and lines. Okay, fine, fine, fine, yeah. They follow the 864 01:09:06,600 --> 01:09:12,720 DPW around. DPW is 18 cents on every tax dollars. Again, this is very high level 865 01:09:12,720 --> 01:09:19,040 roads and streets are maintained, flowers, plants, leave pickup, compost, transfer, transportation 866 01:09:19,040 --> 01:09:22,840 to take care of all the city buildings, all the city grounds. 867 01:09:24,440 --> 01:09:30,800 They ran out of the carousel, overstate engineering department, they do the storm water, ensure 868 01:09:30,800 --> 01:09:31,520 that it's adequate. 869 01:09:32,020 --> 01:09:36,100 They also manage the water and sewer departments, however, they're separate budgets, so they're 870 01:09:36,100 --> 01:09:37,680 not included in this. 871 01:09:38,500 --> 01:09:45,180 Commissioner Cameron, do you want to add anything to other areas of investment, the mayor's, 872 01:09:45,180 --> 01:09:50,000 the other four departments, well, and then rent, mayor, council finance and rent, they're 873 01:09:50,000 --> 01:09:54,880 six cents and five cents for per every dollar, every tax dollar, you know, the mayor's 874 01:09:54,880 --> 01:10:01,400 department has a planning department, the building department issues, 1300 permits, usually they have 875 01:10:01,400 --> 01:10:06,820 the planning department, the city historian, the community development planner, and then they 876 01:10:06,820 --> 01:10:11,060 admin of parks, open, land, historic reservations, and sustainability. 877 01:10:14,060 --> 01:10:21,460 That position also handles grants for the city looks for them and works with the departments to apply and administer them. 878 01:10:22,340 --> 01:10:24,940 The accounts office is six cents on every dollar. 879 01:10:25,600 --> 01:10:30,440 There's a city clerk, the city assessor, purchasing, record retention, billing department. 880 01:10:31,940 --> 01:10:35,720 Finance is five cents on every tax dollar, fiscal oversight by 881 01:10:35,720 --> 01:10:38,260 your planning audits payroll accounts receivable. 882 01:10:38,520 --> 01:10:44,320 IT is also under them, it's IT for the city, all city buildings and 883 01:10:44,320 --> 01:10:49,660 facilities and emergency services, and then an erect department is five cents 884 01:10:49,660 --> 01:10:53,260 on every dollar and we have quite a robust erect department. 885 01:10:55,360 --> 01:11:00,240 I did want to point out Saratoga Springs is number two out of sixty one of the lowest tax 886 01:11:00,240 --> 01:11:06,720 rates per thousand. This information is from the New York state control is 2025 local government 887 01:11:06,720 --> 01:11:14,020 tax table. So again, I did a very high level view of what the departments provide and we are 888 01:11:14,020 --> 01:11:21,060 number two of the lowest tax rates in the state. So I think that's important as we move on 889 01:11:21,060 --> 01:11:27,240 in our 2027 budget discussion. Oh and then if you look if you look at the attachment, it 890 01:11:27,240 --> 01:11:31,020 all the cities, tax rates, and where they land. 891 01:11:33,980 --> 01:11:40,660 So with that said, I do want to read, I met with our finance team as we were going over the 892 01:11:40,660 --> 01:11:47,960 request of budgets for 2027 and I wanted to share some of my thoughts as we move on into this process. 893 01:11:49,640 --> 01:11:54,720 As we begin the 2027 budget process, we need to be honest about how we arrived at our current 894 01:11:54,720 --> 01:12:00,180 financial position for the past four years, the CD has been in deficit spending and using 895 01:12:00,180 --> 01:12:04,540 fund balance to balance the budget. There has been no meaningful plan to bring reoccurring 896 01:12:04,540 --> 01:12:09,200 expenditures in line with reoccurring revenues. Fund balance is not reoccurring revenue, 897 01:12:09,500 --> 01:12:14,800 once it's spent it's gone. After 2026 we will be very close to the CD's required minimum 898 01:12:14,800 --> 01:12:20,540 fund balance of 10%. Leaving little of the financial cushions we have relied upon in previous 899 01:12:20,540 --> 01:12:25,300 budgets. I mean, basically, we've been kicking the can down the road and the can has arrived 900 01:12:25,300 --> 01:12:31,060 at our doorstep. The financial pressures are not new during the 2026 budget process, former 901 01:12:31,060 --> 01:12:35,940 commissioners found to be identified significant increases over the previous four years. We 902 01:12:35,940 --> 01:12:42,260 retirement 18% increase liability insurance 10%. Health insurance 9% salary and debt service 903 01:12:42,260 --> 01:12:48,820 5%. Recurring expenses grew approximately 3.5 times faster than recurring revenues. And 904 01:12:48,820 --> 01:12:54,360 The city cannot continue increasing recurring expenses without identifying recurring revenues 905 01:12:54,360 --> 01:12:56,740 or permanent savings to support them. 906 01:12:57,280 --> 01:13:01,540 For four years, the city had opportunities to address the growing gap between recurring 907 01:13:01,540 --> 01:13:04,420 revenues and expenditures and opportunities were not taken. 908 01:13:05,160 --> 01:13:09,720 Tax increases during this period did not adequately address the city's operating shortfall, 909 01:13:10,020 --> 01:13:14,020 including a 0% tax increase in 2025 while expenses grew. 910 01:13:14,780 --> 01:13:20,880 I recognize a raising taxes as narrow and easy decision, neither is reducing expenditures, 911 01:13:21,440 --> 01:13:25,700 changing services, restructuring operations, or making difficult staffing decisions. 912 01:13:26,520 --> 01:13:28,780 But governing requires making difficult choices. 913 01:13:29,360 --> 01:13:32,060 Avoiding those choices does not eliminate the cost. 914 01:13:32,380 --> 01:13:36,760 It simply pushes the problem into the next budget and makes eventual corrections more difficult. 915 01:13:37,640 --> 01:13:42,240 The 2026 budget anticipated using approximately 1.3 million of fund balance. 916 01:13:42,240 --> 01:13:51,500 current projections indicate that actual deficit will be closer to 4.7 million, approximately 3.7 million more than originally anticipated. 917 01:13:52,280 --> 01:13:59,120 This is not simply an accounting issue, it demonstrates that the city's underlying financial position is worse than the adoptive budget reflected. 918 01:13:59,720 --> 01:14:06,480 And initial department requests for 2027, currently show a projected shortfall of over $7 million. 919 01:14:07,220 --> 01:14:08,640 This is not the final budget. 920 01:14:09,260 --> 01:14:13,620 We view department requests identify savings, examine revenues, and make adjustments. 921 01:14:14,200 --> 01:14:16,480 But we should not minimize what this number represents. 922 01:14:17,080 --> 01:14:20,000 This is a structural imbalance that has developed over years, 923 01:14:20,280 --> 01:14:23,020 not a gap that can be solved by moving money between accounts. 924 01:14:23,520 --> 01:14:27,280 There is no single solution, and we all need to look at spending, staffing, 925 01:14:27,280 --> 01:14:30,300 operations, efficiencies, revenues, and services. 926 01:14:31,380 --> 01:14:37,920 Over the next week, I will meet individually with commissioners to review their departmental 927 01:14:37,920 --> 01:14:42,660 budgets and identify opportunities to reduce costs while protecting services residents 928 01:14:42,660 --> 01:14:43,980 we live on. 929 01:14:44,380 --> 01:14:48,680 Some choices will be difficult, some programs may need to change, some expenditures may need 930 01:14:48,680 --> 01:14:53,480 to be reduced, and additional revenue, including taxes, must be considered. 931 01:14:53,480 --> 01:14:58,060 There are no easy choices ahead, but continuing to do nothing is not an option. 932 01:14:58,560 --> 01:14:59,940 My responsibility as commissioner. 933 01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:10,740 Finance is not simply to find enough money to balance another budget. It's to make sure the city's financial plan reflects reality. And that we begin addressing the structural problems that have accumulated. 934 01:15:12,020 --> 01:15:27,580 We need to stop using one-time money to fund recurring expenses. We need to stop postponing difficult decisions. We need to stop treating fund balances and ongoing revenue source. And we need to establish a multi-year plan that brings recurring revenues and expenditures into balance. 935 01:15:27,580 --> 01:15:32,900 The residents of Saratoga Springs deserve transparency about the city's financial position, 936 01:15:33,120 --> 01:15:35,820 the cost correcting of it and the choices before us. 937 01:15:36,280 --> 01:15:40,540 We cannot change to the financial decisions of the last four years, but we must be accountable 938 01:15:40,540 --> 01:15:45,920 for the decisions we make now and begin to put the city on a sustainable financial path. 939 01:15:46,500 --> 01:15:53,060 So we'll be reaching out to the commissioners to set meetings with our budget director 940 01:15:53,060 --> 01:16:02,520 and myself to go over what was submitted, some options that finance office have come up with. 941 01:16:03,000 --> 01:16:07,840 And when we have the comp budget, I'll be presenting the comp budget and hopefully we can 942 01:16:07,840 --> 01:16:12,880 all be in agreement or work towards an agreement. 943 01:16:14,800 --> 01:16:16,300 My next item is- 944 01:16:16,300 --> 01:16:17,480 I just add something to this. 945 01:16:17,480 --> 01:16:17,980 Oh, sir, please. 946 01:16:17,980 --> 01:16:26,900 I do think that we are going to be in a position where we have to make very, very difficult decisions, especially with public safety. 947 01:16:27,200 --> 01:16:34,080 We have incredible response times in the city from both to police and fire departments that average around six minutes. 948 01:16:35,260 --> 01:16:43,140 So if we need to cut expenses, those response times will be going up, obviously, and that puts people's lives in danger. 949 01:16:43,140 --> 01:16:49,060 I understand that. At the same time, no one wants to raise taxes, and that is going to be 950 01:16:49,060 --> 01:16:53,180 the most difficult channels that we'll have ahead. I would add to us how we're going to balance 951 01:16:53,180 --> 01:17:00,320 that. Yeah, I agree. And I'm saying this so when we can all think about, you know, or work with 952 01:17:00,320 --> 01:17:06,740 your people that put the budget together of things that we can possibly look for ways to 953 01:17:06,740 --> 01:17:11,720 to save expenses for if we could raise revenue, new revenue sources. 954 01:17:12,940 --> 01:17:13,980 We're certainly not unique. 955 01:17:14,020 --> 01:17:18,300 Every day I read in the paper, another municipality is going through the same thing. 956 01:17:18,380 --> 01:17:19,660 It feels like it's everywhere. 957 01:17:19,900 --> 01:17:24,500 Healthcare has gone crazy, in terms of costs in general, have gone crazy. 958 01:17:24,800 --> 01:17:26,400 Every time a man is super expensive. 959 01:17:26,840 --> 01:17:34,540 If I may have, learning more and more, that there are things in the city that DPL 960 01:17:34,540 --> 01:17:42,060 responsible for that you're just not doing, or not doing well enough, and some of these 961 01:17:42,060 --> 01:17:50,060 are regulatory things that puts us under threat of perhaps not being not meeting the regulations 962 01:17:50,060 --> 01:17:56,820 that the state and other is just using both on us, and some of it has to do with not doing 963 01:17:56,820 --> 01:18:03,260 a good enough job of protecting an old stone sewers, and that causes flooding here and there 964 01:18:03,260 --> 01:18:10,160 people, we make it maybe really subject to lawsuits by our own citizens. So as the situation 965 01:18:10,160 --> 01:18:16,240 in D.P.W that I'm finding, we are currently not doing the things that we need to be doing 966 01:18:16,240 --> 01:18:23,400 and we are at risk. So I'll look forward to our discussions and to see where we go and how we 967 01:18:23,400 --> 01:18:30,820 address these issues. Again, it's not a one-year fix either. We're looking out for five years to see 968 01:18:30,820 --> 01:18:34,260 how we can come back to a budget neutral. 969 01:18:34,720 --> 01:18:38,140 Again, we, after this year our fund balance will be very close 970 01:18:38,140 --> 01:18:42,740 to the 10% required that per policy. 971 01:18:45,550 --> 01:18:47,770 So I appreciate you and I look forward to working with everyone 972 01:18:47,770 --> 01:18:49,470 as we move forward with that. 973 01:18:49,710 --> 01:18:53,930 My next item is I move to approve an update to city fees. 974 01:18:54,250 --> 01:18:56,010 That's a motion to say a second. 975 01:18:56,450 --> 01:18:56,970 Second. 976 01:18:57,070 --> 01:18:57,950 Colors a second. 977 01:18:58,530 --> 01:18:58,810 Discussion? 978 01:18:59,190 --> 01:19:00,890 This item is to approve an update to turn 979 01:19:00,890 --> 01:19:03,930 it be upon recommendation of the record department. 980 01:19:04,430 --> 01:19:07,630 The fee increasing is from 5,000 to 5,500. 981 01:19:09,030 --> 01:19:10,010 The other discussion? 982 01:19:11,350 --> 01:19:12,610 I was in favor of say aye. 983 01:19:13,230 --> 01:19:13,930 Any policy? 984 01:19:14,670 --> 01:19:15,410 No abstentions? 985 01:19:15,650 --> 01:19:15,990 Five zero. 986 01:19:16,490 --> 01:19:16,810 Thank you. 987 01:19:16,950 --> 01:19:17,510 My next item. 988 01:19:18,050 --> 01:19:23,130 I approve a motion to approve a bond resolution for the purchase of a tandem dump truck. 989 01:19:23,550 --> 01:19:24,110 It's a motion. 990 01:19:24,310 --> 01:19:24,850 Is there a second? 991 01:19:25,470 --> 01:19:25,690 Second? 992 01:19:26,090 --> 01:19:26,170 Second? 993 01:19:27,510 --> 01:19:36,270 This resolution authorizes the city to issue up to $322,082 in cereal bonds to finance the purchase 994 01:19:36,270 --> 01:19:39,830 of a replacement dump truck for unit number 292. 995 01:19:40,290 --> 01:19:45,250 The debt will have a 15-year probable repayment period and the principal and interest payments 996 01:19:45,250 --> 01:19:47,690 will begin upon delivery of the vehicle. 997 01:19:49,250 --> 01:19:51,810 This a roll call vote is required for this. 998 01:19:51,810 --> 01:20:01,970 This was approved in the capital budget to issue a bond resolution on a vehicle that won't be here. 999 01:20:02,190 --> 01:20:05,710 We'll order it now, but it won't be here for maybe two years, actually. 1000 01:20:06,850 --> 01:20:08,110 So we have the motion. 1001 01:20:08,950 --> 01:20:10,090 We get out of motion. 1002 01:20:11,330 --> 01:20:12,130 I need a second. 1003 01:20:13,190 --> 01:20:13,630 Second. 1004 01:20:13,990 --> 01:20:15,170 Second is coal. 1005 01:20:15,570 --> 01:20:16,310 Any other discussion? 1006 01:20:17,310 --> 01:20:19,030 Okay, we take a roll call. 1007 01:20:20,670 --> 01:20:21,770 Mayor Sanford? 1008 01:20:21,930 --> 01:20:22,330 Yes. 1009 01:20:24,170 --> 01:20:25,290 Commissioner Kiernan? 1010 01:20:25,610 --> 01:20:25,690 Yes. 1011 01:20:26,470 --> 01:20:27,230 Commissioner Caremati? 1012 01:20:27,470 --> 01:20:27,930 Yes. 1013 01:20:28,250 --> 01:20:28,930 Commissioner Cole? 1014 01:20:29,330 --> 01:20:29,650 Yes. 1015 01:20:30,290 --> 01:20:31,090 Commissioner Troy C. 1016 01:20:32,670 --> 01:20:33,910 We had a past as Pfizer. 1017 01:20:34,670 --> 01:20:34,930 Thank you. 1018 01:20:35,010 --> 01:20:38,650 My next item is to approve by just transfers as attached to the agenda. 1019 01:20:39,910 --> 01:20:42,110 That's the motion, is there a second? 1020 01:20:42,150 --> 01:20:42,610 Second. 1021 01:20:45,890 --> 01:20:48,510 Well, this item approves payroll related by 1022 01:20:48,510 --> 01:20:51,090 your transfers as they were attached to the agenda, 1023 01:20:51,670 --> 01:20:54,890 and also the use of the contingency line item to cover 1024 01:20:54,890 --> 01:21:01,310 34,313 dollars and 46 cents in the HVAC repairs 1025 01:21:01,310 --> 01:21:02,610 for the police department. 1026 01:21:03,110 --> 01:21:05,970 The remaining balance and the contingency line item will be 1027 01:21:05,970 --> 01:21:09,330 15,358 dollars and 43 cents. 1028 01:21:12,240 --> 01:21:19,160 Yeah, I just want to comment or the air condition and heating system is beyond repair and that cause the big expense 1029 01:21:20,880 --> 01:21:21,740 You know 1030 01:21:21,740 --> 01:21:23,920 All those in favor say I 1031 01:21:23,920 --> 01:21:32,020 Any opposed say nay no abstentions five zero my next item. I move to approve by due to amendments as a task to be a gender 1032 01:21:33,800 --> 01:21:38,040 That's a motion is there a second second. I can cure a body 1033 01:21:38,800 --> 01:21:44,340 This item improves a series of budget amendments, including over time in DPS and repairs 1034 01:21:44,340 --> 01:21:50,860 and maintenance at the city center, but it also includes a budget amendment of using $149,000 1035 01:21:50,860 --> 01:21:56,480 of honest line fund balance to replenish the salt and sand lines in DPW as they prepare 1036 01:21:56,480 --> 01:21:58,600 for the upcoming winter months. 1037 01:21:58,700 --> 01:22:00,440 Details are attached to the agenda. 1038 01:22:01,240 --> 01:22:06,960 It wasn't an up money and the salt and sand lines are actually at zero, so in order to prepare 1039 01:22:06,960 --> 01:22:11,520 referred October November December we had to move money in there. 1040 01:22:11,540 --> 01:22:15,480 And over the roll call vote is needed because we're using on a sign 1041 01:22:15,480 --> 01:22:17,680 fund balance for the soul and sandline items. 1042 01:22:18,360 --> 01:22:19,280 Yeah, into that now. 1043 01:22:19,740 --> 01:22:20,240 I know. 1044 01:22:21,720 --> 01:22:23,820 Roll call vote. 1045 01:22:23,840 --> 01:22:24,700 Mayors effort. 1046 01:22:24,960 --> 01:22:25,300 Yes. 1047 01:22:25,660 --> 01:22:26,340 Commissioner Kieranen. 1048 01:22:27,760 --> 01:22:28,360 Commissioner Kieranen. 1049 01:22:28,840 --> 01:22:29,000 Yes. 1050 01:22:29,080 --> 01:22:29,640 Commissioner. 1051 01:22:30,000 --> 01:22:31,980 Yes? Mr. Tracy. 1052 01:22:33,080 --> 01:22:35,000 Peter Passes, 5-0. 1053 01:22:36,400 --> 01:22:37,320 Dr. Public Court. 1054 01:22:37,880 --> 01:22:39,460 Hey, thank you. 1055 01:22:40,200 --> 01:22:46,100 I don't know, one, I move for the mayor to accept settlement agreement from National Grid in the amount 1056 01:22:46,100 --> 01:22:47,440 of $15,000. 1057 01:22:47,920 --> 01:22:49,900 It's a motion, is there a second? 1058 01:22:50,560 --> 01:22:51,040 Second. 1059 01:22:51,040 --> 01:22:51,880 Second, call. 1060 01:22:52,320 --> 01:22:53,040 Discussion did. 1061 01:22:53,960 --> 01:22:57,160 I took when did the city has reached the settlement, the National Grid, 1062 01:22:57,160 --> 01:23:03,180 regarding damage that they caused when gas service broke through the city's 1063 01:23:03,180 --> 01:23:08,160 sewer main. Resulting sewer backup, National Grid has agreed to compensate the 1064 01:23:08,160 --> 01:23:12,900 city for the costs of the citizens and the settlement payment will be used 1065 01:23:12,900 --> 01:23:16,120 to reimburse those expenses. Any other questions? 1066 01:23:16,760 --> 01:23:19,360 Well, those in favour say aye. Aye. Any opposed? 1067 01:23:19,620 --> 01:23:20,360 Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any opposed? 1068 01:23:20,360 --> 01:23:20,800 Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any opposed? 1069 01:23:20,800 --> 01:23:21,040 Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any opposed? 1070 01:23:21,040 --> 01:23:23,780 Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any opposed? 1071 01:23:26,460 --> 01:23:27,140 Aye. Any opposed? 1072 01:23:27,140 --> 01:23:29,280 stopping solar electric facilities. 1073 01:23:30,300 --> 01:23:31,080 That's the motion, sir. 1074 01:23:31,580 --> 01:23:31,620 Second. 1075 01:23:32,440 --> 01:23:32,520 Second. 1076 01:23:32,520 --> 01:23:33,460 I can call. 1077 01:23:33,800 --> 01:23:35,500 The agreement to grassy growth solar 1078 01:23:35,500 --> 01:23:38,060 resources for operating, maintaining and developing 1079 01:23:38,060 --> 01:23:41,540 the photovoltaic solar electric facilities for the city of 1080 01:23:41,540 --> 01:23:42,400 certain of the springs. 1081 01:23:42,960 --> 01:23:46,280 The solar credits are to offset water, sewer, and electric 1082 01:23:46,280 --> 01:23:49,420 utility expenses at no cost of the city. 1083 01:23:49,620 --> 01:23:53,220 Thus providing potential savings on the utilities bills. 1084 01:23:53,460 --> 01:23:54,720 Any other discussion? 1085 01:23:54,720 --> 01:23:59,460 I do, who keeps track of the credits and how they're applied? 1086 01:24:01,140 --> 01:24:02,500 I don't know. 1087 01:24:03,820 --> 01:24:08,640 And this was set up, I think, in the previous administration before I got here, 1088 01:24:09,200 --> 01:24:12,120 and this is just an end to an agreement that's already in place. 1089 01:24:12,600 --> 01:24:16,680 So, whatever method was being used before, it's being followed. 1090 01:24:17,680 --> 01:24:18,840 How are you looking to it? 1091 01:24:19,040 --> 01:24:22,780 Yeah, can you let me know, because we have another contract with solar credits as well. 1092 01:24:22,780 --> 01:24:32,920 Yes, that's the why will field but but I'm still where we're now researching to ensure that I know what the credits were getting and I know the bills 1093 01:24:32,920 --> 01:24:38,200 I'm having some of my office making sure these credits get to these bills like to close that loop 1094 01:24:38,200 --> 01:24:45,900 So I'd like to be able to do that for this as well because it seems I just want to make sure that we're getting the credits that was off 1095 01:24:45,900 --> 01:24:48,160 I know we're happy to help 1096 01:24:48,160 --> 01:24:52,820 If we have found out that they don't voluntarily give us our money, if we have to kind of thank you. 1097 01:24:53,260 --> 01:24:53,780 Exactly. 1098 01:24:54,200 --> 01:24:58,120 So that's what I want to close the loop on that. 1099 01:24:58,160 --> 01:24:59,020 Send up to get credits. 1100 01:24:59,420 --> 01:25:03,120 Let's work together to make sure that we're getting what we're signing up for. 1101 01:25:03,260 --> 01:25:04,080 Any other discussion? 1102 01:25:04,760 --> 01:25:04,920 Deal. 1103 01:25:05,760 --> 01:25:06,440 Yeah, all good. 1104 01:25:06,780 --> 01:25:07,980 All those in favor say aye. 1105 01:25:09,480 --> 01:25:10,520 Any opposed? 1106 01:25:11,060 --> 01:25:12,060 No instructions. 1107 01:25:12,460 --> 01:25:12,740 Five zero. 1108 01:25:13,100 --> 01:25:14,040 Item number three. 1109 01:25:14,380 --> 01:25:15,860 A move for the mayor to sign it. 1110 01:25:15,860 --> 01:25:21,500 number one would grow in reality for commercial real-state services. That's the motion, now 1111 01:25:21,500 --> 01:25:26,700 second it. This event number grow in reality will address the need to hire external vendors 1112 01:25:26,700 --> 01:25:33,260 for the purposes of performing appraisals, engineering and environmental reviews and other services 1113 01:25:33,260 --> 01:25:39,360 that will be considered routine in a municipal real-state transaction. It is not to exceed 1114 01:25:39,360 --> 01:25:47,440 $120,000, of course, you know, these are related to our potential acquisition of the 1115 01:25:47,440 --> 01:25:48,100 Boosies property. 1116 01:25:48,660 --> 01:25:54,000 So if we have a motion, okay, table, I'll second that motion. 1117 01:25:56,080 --> 01:25:57,620 And any other discussion on that? 1118 01:25:57,620 --> 01:25:59,060 I think we're all pretty clear. 1119 01:25:59,260 --> 01:26:01,940 Well, I just want to ensure that the council is committed. 1120 01:26:01,940 --> 01:26:03,640 I don't want to spend a dime on this. 1121 01:26:04,900 --> 01:26:08,240 If we move forward with this and it makes financial sense 1122 01:26:08,940 --> 01:26:15,640 That the council is committed to move forward with this purchase, I guess. 1123 01:26:15,760 --> 01:26:18,900 Again, it needs to make financial sense, but I don't want it to back out. 1124 01:26:19,060 --> 01:26:21,760 We spend the money, and then all of a sudden, people change their mind. 1125 01:26:21,980 --> 01:26:22,860 It's not a good idea. 1126 01:26:23,080 --> 01:26:27,560 I just want to make sure that there's a commitment on the half of... 1127 01:26:27,560 --> 01:26:31,280 Yeah, I'll speak for the Department of Public Safety. 1128 01:26:31,360 --> 01:26:36,820 We're certainly committed to moving forward with it, and I think this will be a reimbursement. 1129 01:26:36,820 --> 01:26:41,620 these expenses are reimbursed once we sell the city's property. 1130 01:26:43,780 --> 01:26:50,420 Yeah, I mean this is a, I would say historic opportunity for us to acquire new facilities 1131 01:26:50,420 --> 01:26:55,480 and be able to transact some of the properties that the city owns today. 1132 01:26:56,620 --> 01:27:03,160 And I don't, I, everything looks really like a very, very promising thing for the city to do. 1133 01:27:03,160 --> 01:27:04,260 Okay, thank you. 1134 01:27:04,540 --> 01:27:10,220 Yeah, and to that, I do think it takes care of our infrastructure needs that I've been part of it. 1135 01:27:10,220 --> 01:27:14,920 Part of it for a long time I've been avoided at really no cost or minimal cost. 1136 01:27:15,240 --> 01:27:20,980 Yeah, and if anyone has any doubt, they can take another tour of the police department downstairs, or 1137 01:27:20,980 --> 01:27:22,540 and the garage, and to be done with it. 1138 01:27:22,540 --> 01:27:23,800 Probably, but there's a plate leaking. 1139 01:27:24,220 --> 01:27:24,980 Right, that's right. 1140 01:27:25,420 --> 01:27:28,200 If from a real estate perspective, this is an amazing opportunity. 1141 01:27:28,560 --> 01:27:32,400 I mean, real estate people buy and sell properties all the time. 1142 01:27:32,400 --> 01:27:41,080 So we have the opportunity to own just as much value-wise in real estate and have it something 1143 01:27:41,080 --> 01:27:47,060 that's suiting our needs as opposed to owning that same amount of property, dollar-wise 1144 01:27:47,060 --> 01:27:48,920 that isn't suiting our needs anywhere. 1145 01:27:50,260 --> 01:27:50,420 So. 1146 01:27:50,940 --> 01:27:51,300 I agree. 1147 01:27:51,680 --> 01:27:52,440 The other discussion? 1148 01:27:53,100 --> 01:27:54,180 All those in favor say aye. 1149 01:27:54,220 --> 01:27:54,620 Aye. 1150 01:27:55,000 --> 01:27:55,720 Any opposed thing? 1151 01:27:56,600 --> 01:27:56,760 Aye. 1152 01:27:56,760 --> 01:28:03,940 most engines, 5-0. Well, last item is I move for the Mayor to sign change order with 1153 01:28:03,940 --> 01:28:09,780 J&K trucking and excavation in Quink for water distribution pipe replacement project 1154 01:28:10,480 --> 01:28:16,060 Feast 3. This is the project on Clinton Street that is almost completed now. 1155 01:28:16,360 --> 01:28:18,380 Okay, we have motion. Is there a second? 1156 01:28:19,160 --> 01:28:19,240 Second. 1157 01:28:19,240 --> 01:28:22,160 What was happening at any other discussion? 1158 01:28:23,200 --> 01:28:24,220 What do you know is that one? 1159 01:28:24,420 --> 01:28:25,880 All those in favor say aye. 1160 01:28:25,940 --> 01:28:26,240 Aye. 1161 01:28:26,460 --> 01:28:27,740 Any opposed saying aye? 1162 01:28:28,140 --> 01:28:29,020 No abstentions. 1163 01:28:29,140 --> 01:28:29,760 Matter passes. 1164 01:28:30,080 --> 01:28:30,560 Excuse me. 1165 01:28:31,420 --> 01:28:32,180 Thank you, sir. 1166 01:28:34,140 --> 01:28:34,620 Thank you, Mayor. 1167 01:28:35,160 --> 01:28:35,760 First item. 1168 01:28:35,900 --> 01:28:38,040 I moved to authorize the mayor to sign the dendom 1169 01:28:38,040 --> 01:28:41,980 with perigrain technologies to extend our current contract 1170 01:28:41,980 --> 01:28:46,620 to December 31, 227 with the same terms and conditions 1171 01:28:46,620 --> 01:28:50,440 at no additional cost and I put this in form of motion. 1172 01:28:51,020 --> 01:28:53,100 At some motion, is there a second? 1173 01:28:53,340 --> 01:28:53,920 Second? 1174 01:28:53,920 --> 01:28:55,660 Second, can you carry money on your discussion? 1175 01:28:56,520 --> 01:29:02,560 Yes, the Serial Contract was approved by Council and October of 2023 for a 3-year contract. 1176 01:29:03,660 --> 01:29:08,540 This is a 3-year contract for data consulting services. 1177 01:29:09,100 --> 01:29:13,920 This is basically for our software system that connects our computer and a 8-bit 1178 01:29:13,920 --> 01:29:19,220 that system with our record management. And again, no additional cost to the city for the 1179 01:29:19,220 --> 01:29:19,940 one year extension. 1180 01:29:20,260 --> 01:29:21,040 Any other discussion? 1181 01:29:21,920 --> 01:29:23,220 All those in favour of the guy? 1182 01:29:23,280 --> 01:29:23,720 Hi. 1183 01:29:23,940 --> 01:29:25,060 Any post same day? 1184 01:29:25,180 --> 01:29:25,900 No abstention? 1185 01:29:26,020 --> 01:29:26,600 Size 0. 1186 01:29:27,240 --> 01:29:33,060 A second item I moved to authorize the bearers on a contract with Lerosis on Motiv for the outfitting 1187 01:29:33,060 --> 01:29:38,400 of police vehicles in the amount of not to exceed $11,000 and that put that in a form 1188 01:29:38,400 --> 01:29:38,880 remotion. 1189 01:29:39,040 --> 01:29:39,700 We have a motion. 1190 01:29:39,860 --> 01:29:40,540 Is there a second? 1191 01:29:42,220 --> 01:29:42,360 Second. 1192 01:29:42,360 --> 01:29:45,920 and Karen and here's the question. 1193 01:29:46,320 --> 01:29:51,560 Funds will come from the Police Department's vehicle budget line, not to exceed $18,000 in the 1194 01:29:51,560 --> 01:29:58,960 police equipment line, not to exceed $3,000 in this related to vehicle that was replaced 1195 01:29:58,960 --> 01:29:59,980 because of an accident. 1196 01:30:04,080 --> 01:30:18,700 May 3rd item, I move to authorize the payment to pitchfield communications in the amount of 312,803 cents, despite a deviation from the purchasing policy in direct finance, the issue payment from the capital, budget line, and I put this in form of motion. 1197 01:30:18,700 --> 01:30:24,260 You have a motion. Is there a second? Second? Okay, Marty. Discussion? 1198 01:30:25,100 --> 01:30:35,860 This installation was done prior to a purchase order being established. This is for a mobile radio speaker that will be located in the cab for the new fire engine. 1199 01:30:36,380 --> 01:30:41,760 And I believe because it's coming from the capital budget line, we would need to roll call vote. Is that correct, Commissioner? 1200 01:30:42,700 --> 01:30:44,080 Are you on pitch field communication? 1201 01:30:44,780 --> 01:30:49,020 Yeah, unfortunately there's nothing attached to the agenda. Oh, there's not okay. I'll pull that then 1202 01:30:49,020 --> 01:30:52,100 Yeah, thank you. I'm sorry. I just noticed that as like clicked on it. 1203 01:30:52,160 --> 01:30:53,000 Get know where I will 1204 01:30:53,000 --> 01:30:59,090 Okay, I'm pulling my item number three. I'm pulling 163. I'm pulling 163. That's correct. 1205 01:31:00,560 --> 01:31:05,370 My fourth item is I moved to authorized the payment. I'm sorry, which is done by third item. 1206 01:31:06,000 --> 01:31:08,930 I moved to authorized the payment to Allen. Elsework the amount of 1207 01:31:08,930 --> 01:31:16,950 $2,270 for draft shoes for our police horse braiding, despite the deviation from the purchasing 1208 01:31:16,950 --> 01:31:20,890 policy and direct finance issue of payment from the police department's horse care budget 1209 01:31:21,870 --> 01:31:22,430 line. 1210 01:31:22,490 --> 01:31:24,150 And I put that in a form of motion. 1211 01:31:24,650 --> 01:31:25,150 That's the motion. 1212 01:31:25,410 --> 01:31:26,270 Is there a second? 1213 01:31:28,010 --> 01:31:28,390 Our current. 1214 01:31:30,030 --> 01:31:34,410 Yeah, the discussion is that this vendor does not carry this sufficient required insurance. 1215 01:31:34,410 --> 01:31:50,650 and the invoices are from February to August, and this is one of the areas in the light of the fiscal headwinds we are assessing to determine if we can move forward and still have the amount of unit to be operational. 1216 01:31:50,650 --> 01:32:01,730 It doesn't impact calls to service, the time for calls to service, the impact or operations, so we are evaluating this program to see if we can continue it. 1217 01:32:01,730 --> 01:32:04,210 let's say at the reality that we deal with. 1218 01:32:05,830 --> 01:32:06,950 Any other discussion? 1219 01:32:08,330 --> 01:32:09,630 Well, those in favor say aye. 1220 01:32:09,650 --> 01:32:10,110 Aye. 1221 01:32:10,270 --> 01:32:11,710 Any post saying aye. 1222 01:32:12,030 --> 01:32:17,110 Note that since that matter of cases, is there anything else before the council tonight? 1223 01:32:17,670 --> 01:32:20,270 And I move that we adjourn, do I have a second? 1224 01:32:20,730 --> 01:32:23,410 Second is care of body, all in favor say aye. 1225 01:32:25,230 --> 01:32:26,330 Note stenchies. 1226 01:32:27,730 --> 01:32:28,390 No no.