2015 Saratoga Springs State of the City Address February 7th

8/9/2019 2015 Saratoga Springs State of the City Address February 7th

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2015 Saratoga Springs State Of The

City Address

Given By Mayor Joanne D. epsen

Sat!rday" #e$r!ary %" 2015 & 1'00(M

Saratoga Springs City Center

Good afternoon my fellow Saratogians and welcome. As your mayor, it is

my distinct honor and privilege to give the 2015 State of the City Address.

his year, ! feel especially privileged to do so as we "egin the city#s

Centennial year.

! would li$e to dedicate this year#s address, and today#s event to our good

friend, community leader, a very special Saratogian, and %rst lady of

S$idmore, Anne &alamountain. ! as$ that we ta$e a moment of silence to

remem"er and honor Anne.

han$ you.

! want to recogni'e several current and former elected o(icials who are

with us this afternoon.

Congressman &aul on$o

State Senator )athy *archione

Assem"lywoman Carrie +oerner

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! want to than$ *ar$ a$er and the Saratoga Spring City Center forhosting us today.

-ver the past nine years, !#ve made it a priority to create and sustain

strong partnerships, with all levels of government. he success from

wor$ing with all of you on "oth sides of the aisle will "e highlighted this

afternoon. ipartisan approach is the only way to get results.

Introduction

Saratoga Springs is a regionally positioned gem that should "e represented

throughout the state, the nation, and "eyond. *y administration is doing

ust that. +e have so much to "oast a"out, as we "ecome $nown as a

model city/ understanding that while history must "e preserved, there is

great value in "eing forwardthin$ing and preparing for the needs of future

generations. +e have much wor$ to loo$ forward to this year. And, we will

do it together.

*any partnerships are "eing formed and strengthened. Saratoga Springs

o(ers a widepac$age of diverse cultural and tourist attractions. +ith

targeted tourism e(orts and, companies such as Glo"al oundries, we are

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"ecoming more international friendly, adding to the plethora of reasons

people are continuing to oc$ to Saratoga Springs.

!#m very e3cited a"out our many accomplishments and our new initiatives

to ensure Saratoga Springs# local economy stays strong, $eeping o!r

uni4ue 4uality of life at the forefront for residents and visitors ali$e.

As you all $now, this afternoon#s address is the State of the City , not ust

the State of the *ayors -(ice. +e are a commission form of government

and so, once again, ! as$ed my fellow council mem"ers to contri"ute to this

address. ! will start with their department reports6

Public Safety

7epartment of &u"lic Safety, led "y Commissioner Chris *athiesen6

Saratoga Springs continues to "e one of the safest municipalities to live,

wor$, or visit. -ur crime rate is among the lowest of cities in the

northeast. he emergency response times of our &olice and ire89*S

departments are e3cellent for most areas of the City, and the 7epartment

of &u"lic Safety is continuing to pursue a third ire89*S station in order to

more ade4uately meet present and future needs.

!n addition, our Code 9nforcement -(icers and ire 7epartment have

made great progress in the registration and inspection of vacant "uildings,

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and fortunately our &olice 7epartment renovations in City :all are now

complete.

Public Works

7epartment of &u"lic +or$s, led "y Commissioner S$ip Scirocco6

-ur +ater reatment &lant has a newly installed emergency generator,

which will allow the treatment of water in the event of an electrical

capacity issue. +e have new water wells at og *eadow that provide a

"ac$up water supply when needed. -nce complete, the allston Avenue

;econstruction &roect will provide for additional pedestrian and vehicle

tra(ic in that corridor. And 7&+ has "een an integral part of our ongoing

partnership with the Saratoga Springs &reservation oundation on

refur"ishing the Spirit of


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esta"lishing a @Community Safety Committee that will tie "ac$ into the

City, and a @City 9mergency *anagement &rogram that will connect into

the e3isting County 9mergency -nline *anagement System.

Finance

7epartment of inance, led "y Commissioner *ichele *adigan6

a3es have "een held within the recently enacted 2B property ta3 cap. he

2015 Adopted udget, unanimously approved "y the City Council, will have

a 'ero percent property ta3 increase. his year residential ta3payers will

receive a chec$ from the state under its new a3 ree'e Credit program.

*uch of our city de"t has "een re%nanced to lower interest rates, with a

proected savings over 2 million over the ne3t 20 years.his year, the

inance 7epartment will "e wor$ing to overhaul the city#s we"site

including a new system for -nline &ayment of a3es and Dtility ills.

han$ you, my fellow City Council mem"ers, for your service to this city.

&lease stand and "e recogni'ed.

!#m pleased to report that the relationship "etween our City and our

County has never "een stronger. !#d li$e to ta$e this opportunity to than$

our two county supervisors for their service as well6 *atthew Eeitch, who

ust too$ over as chairman of the Saratoga County oard of Supervisors,

who you heard from earlier, and &eter *artin. &lease also stand and "e

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recogni'ed.

!n the *ayor#s o(ice itself !#d li$e to than$ my full sta( and in particular

=oe -gden, 7eputy *ayor/ Eince 7e


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or the %rst time,the mayor#s schedule is online.

! routinely hold open o(ice hours for citi'ens to come in and spea$

with me without an appointment some of the "est ideas have come

from these meetings. Greater access to consultant reports %nanced "y ta3payer money.

! improved the way citi'ens are appointed and recorded to city "oards

and committees. or the %rst time in a long time, appointments are

"eing made in complete accordance with state and city law and in a

pu"lic and fully transparent way. And, we are interviewing candidates

from diverse "ac$grounds and giving new citi'ens, with fresh ideas,

an opportunity to get involved in city government. +e#re interviewing

all who are interested, and then, appointing the people "est suited for

the o" "ased on s$ills, e3perience and interests, regardless of

political a(iliation. eing accessi"le as mayor is paramount. ! continue to "e out in the

community as much as ! am in City :all. 9ven though the *ayor#s

position is o(icially a part time o", to do the City ustice, it#s more

than a full time o"/ it#s a life style. he *ayor#s o(ice door is always open, literally. ! have met with

hundreds of constituents, ta$e meetings whenever re4uested, and,

initiate discussions with all sides of an issue "efore ta$ing a position.

Collective Bargaining

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hirteen months ago, when ! too$ o(ice, all seven of the city#s la"or

contracts were unresolved. Su"se4uently, employee morale was low, our

"udget and credit rating could have "een vulnera"le, and ta3payers were

footing the "ill for hundreds of thousands of dollars in la"or attorney#s fees

with littletono progress to show for it. As of today, four of those contracts

have "een resolved, signed, sealed and delivered. +e are close to %nali'ing

the others. +e should all ta$e great pride in ma$ing su"stantial progress

toward settling these contracts and doing it in a fair and %scally

responsi"le way. As long as !#m mayor we will never "e in a situation li$e

the one ! found ourselves in last =anuary/ our employees and our city

deserve a mayor who communicates with them and we are delivering on

that.

conomic !evelopment

*y administration has a smart, "alanced and proactive approach to

economic development against a "ac$drop of continued success.

Dnemployment here in Saratoga County is I.IB/ compared with 5.JB

statewide. -ur occupancy ta3 continues to grow year after year, with 201I

showing an J.5B increase over 201K. And signature events li$e the

Saratoga ro'en Springs :oc$ey Classic, Chowderfest, irst Light, and

Eictorian Stroll, to name a few, continue to grow and provide a wide range

of economic "ene%ts for our city.

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As promised, we "uilt the %rst ever Saratoga Springs usiness Advisory

Council, which helps to "ridge the gap "etween the "usiness community

and City :all, and has "een an incu"ator for many "usinessfriendly ideas.

+e are actively recruiting new "usinesses to our city, and we are hopeful

that we will have some e3citing news to share a"out new "usinesses

coming to Saratoga Springs later this year. Stay tuned.

+hile we wor$ to attract new "usiness we continue to focus on our e3isting

ones. ! felt strongly that the 2015 City Capital udget %nally allocate

100,000 of funding so that the City could support the Special Assessment

7istrict#s +ay inding program that will enhance our signage and ma$ing

downtown even more visitorfriendly. he goal is to improve, over time, the

loo$ of our downtown streets "y replacing our signage with appropriate

historic "randing, while "etter facilitating transportation and par$ing.

! would li$e to than$ im *a"ee, Chair of SA7 and other "usiness

organi'ations H leaders we are partnering with for meeting with my team

regularly on a wide range of "usiness and economic issues6 7ennis

ro"ston, S97C/ om Shim$us, Cham"er of Commerce/ odd Garafano

from Saratoga Convention and ourism ureau/ and im :olmes &resident

of the 7owntown usiness Association. ! loo$ forward to our continued

partnership.

"eterans#$umanitarian

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or years, in my personal and pu"lic o(icial life, giving our veterans and

their families the help they deserve has "een a top priority of mine, and my

tenure as mayor has proved no di(erent. !n 201I, my o(ice initiated a

partnership that will continue and grow this year with the Saratoga County

;ural &reservation Company. As a result, E9:9


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Lo one should "e homeless, especially those who have served our country

to protect our rights and freedom. ! loo$ forward to announcing a new

initiative later this evening to "uild on the possi"ility that housing is within

reach for every veteran.

+e held the %rst city wide service on M811 at :igh ;oc$ &ar$ *emorial. !

am proud and hum"led to have such a dedicated committee to wor$ with in

the creation and implementation of such a moving ceremony to remem"er

those we lost on that day, and the "rave men and women who have gone

into harm#s way. As long as ! am *ayor there will "e an annual city event

on Sept 11 at this site.

! want o recogni'e A


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when temps drop to 20 degrees or less -; when a foot of snow or more is

predicted. ! continue to "e in awe of the generosity of our community for

this program. !t is not uncommon to see local restaurants and volunteers

dropping food o( each night. *y heartfelt than$s to the Salvation Army, all

the partnering nonpro%t organi'ations, and all the do'ens of volunteers

and local "usinesses who ma$e possi"le this no"le e(ort and a potential

e3pansion.

! have formed a Clergy Commission in my %rst year. -ver a do'en local

churches and synagogues are represented. +e meet monthly, rotating host

clergy each month. ogether, we share issues facing our constituents and

"ring collective solutions to the ta"le. +e tal$ a"out needs of "ac$ stretch

wor$ers, the homeless, and continuum of housing needs, among other ways

we can wor$ together to more e(ectively answer the needs of our

constituents.

he humanitarian aspects of "eing a leader are very important to me and

for which ! am passionate, and we will continue to serve anyone who wal$s

in or calls the *ayor#s o(ice. -ur door is literally always open.

Sustainability

A top priority of mine has "een, and continues to "e sustaina"ility and

"alanced growth. Si3 years ago, ! cofounded Sustaina"le Saratoga. !t

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continues to thrive in this community and, as *ayor, my administration in

one short year has accomplished 4uite a "it. =ust following my swearing in

to o(ice as *ayor last year, word came down from the State that progress

on the +aterfront &ar$ had stalled and our grant funding was at ris$. *y

administration wasted no time in completing the design, and getting this

proect "ac$ on trac$. !#m proud to say that as a result, we will %nally have

the +aterfront &ar$ preserved and up and running later this spring, with a

grand opening and special events featuring our new +aterfront &ar$ and

our recently purchased 5 acres on the )ayaderosseros. ! can even see a

City Council $aya$ race from the lodgett property to the +aterfront &ar$

in the wor$s. Commissioners, ! hope you#ll oin me for some funN

he ;e4uest or &roposal corresponding to the 200,000 @cleaner, greener,

communities grant from LFS9;7A has "een issued and a consultant will

help us carry out a muchneeded and thoughtful update to our city#s 'oning

ordinance. ! will "e putting a small pu"lic wor$ group together to oversee

the implementation of the Comp &lan priorities and to wor$ with the

consultant and sta(.

After years of "eing vacant, we have "rought "ac$ the charterre4uired

position of Administrator of &ar$s, -pen


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implementing e3isting city policies li$e complete streets, ur"an forestry

and city energy usage to writing grants and stewarding our City open

space, par$s and more. ! will therefore "e adding Sustaina"ility

Coordinator to the title to "etter reect our current and future needs. ! am

convinced this o" will more than pay for itself.

Also resurrected, is the -pen Space Advisory Committee. he %rst meeting

has "een scheduled of this *ayoral appointed group. +e have important

"usiness to conduct, such as the purchase of land around our main

drin$ing water supply,


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he @City in the Countrymodel is alive and well in my administration. -ur

commitment to developing a thriving ur"an core surrounded "y safe,

diverse, historic neigh"orhoods alongside "eautiful, open, rural land is

and will continue to "e vital to our success as a city.

!ncreasing connectivity and wal$a"le8"i$ea"le access is a very important

priority for my administration and will continue to set Saratoga Springs

aside from many other communities in our region and Dpstate LF. his will

not only add to our daily 4uality of life as year round residents "ut position

us competitively as a tourist destination. his is the perfect marriage

"etween sustaina"ility and economic development.

And !#m very e3cited to say that "ecause of a num"er of factors the

tireless energy of the Southwest Leigh"orhood Association, a winning

application %lled out "y my topnotch &lanning 7epartment, a healthy

wor$ing relationship with our colleagues in state government, and years of

citi'ens and grassroots organi'ations wor$ing toward a shared vision we

were awarded 1.? million "y Governor Cuomo to ma$e the Geyser ;oad

rail a realityN After a decade, we will %nally construct a connection to

downtown for 22B of our city#s population.

%ecreation & Sports 'ourism

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-ur Committee on Sports ourism, partnering with the ;ec Commission,

and the convention and tourism "ureau to esta"lish our city as destination

for ournaments will add much to the locally economy. +e are so proud of

our Saratoga ;owing Association and use this as an e3ample on how sports

and recreation can signi%cantly impact the local economy positively. And,

the city supports and are "ringing Lational DSA rac$ H ield *asters

Cross Country Championships right here to Saratoga Springs in -cto"er.

Dntil recently, since the recreation center was "uilt, the facility did not

meet proected revenue a"ove e3penses. ! am proud to report, and than$

our 7irector =ohn :irliman and the ;ecreation Commission, that 1 million

was "rought in as revenue in 201I and we are %nally meeting proections

and even ma$ing a pro%t.

Casino

A shining e3ample of our uni4ue city is how we handled the issue of an

e3panded casino in Saratoga Springs. his was an incredi"ly di(icult issue

and it too$ up many hours our %rst three months in o(ice last year. 7uring

that time, the community was full of emotion on this issue and rightly so.

After spending much time listening carefully to as many citi'ens,

"usinesses, and civic groups as o(ered written and spo$en comment, it

"ecame clear what had to "e done. he maority of our citi'ens did not

want this e3pansion and we had to "ring a resolution forward that voiced

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our opposition to the Dpstate Lew For$ Gaming 9conomic 7evelopment

Act. :ere in Saratoga Springs others dictating to us what our economic

and cultural future loo$s li$e does not go over well. *y team, with help

from others, wrote the draft of this resolution and circulated it to the entire

City Council for input. -nce all %ve of us agreed on the resolution, !

"rought it to the ta"le for a vote. +ith one voice, your City Council voted

unanimously and made our feelings $nown on a historic night last *arch.

! want to turn to highlighting the upcoming year and my goals for 2015.

() Continue my t*eme of Inclusivit y

&eople have o$ed with me that ! may "ecome $nown as the @*ayor of

Committees. hat#s ust %ne with me. 7on#t get me wrong, its not that !

li$e "ureaucracy/ ! ust li$e democracy. *y administration has started

many new committees and "oards, "ecause so many mem"ers of our

community want to "e involved and ta$e some ownership of the city they

chose to live, wor$, and raise families. 9mpowering residents and "eing

inclusive on issues important to the City are at the very core of why !

choose to "e a pu"lic servant and ! couldn#t "e prouder to stand together

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with all of you. !n twelve months, my administration has created or

resurrected 15 committees who will advance their goals and wor$ in 2015.

Code lue Steering CommitteeSports ourism Committee

Centennial CommitteeSaratoga Springs =unior Committeeusiness Advisory CouncilM811 *emorial Committee;acing Advisory oard

A Lew and !mproved City Senior Advisory Committee;eesta"lishing the -pen Space Advisory CommitteeGreen"elt 7owntown Connector Committee

Eietnam +ar Commemorative Committee

Commission on the ArtsClergy CommissionClimate Smart Communities as$ orceSaratoga Springs 2015 :ousing as$ orce

&lease stand and "e recogni'ed if you are serving on one of thesecommittees.

+) Creative conomy

!f all the stars align, my vision for the years ahead is to open the national

and international doors and announce Saratoga Springs is open for

"usiness. +e can "e the entrepreneurial and creative economy hu", not

ust for the Capital ;egion, or the northeast, "ut nationally. And, 4uite

fran$ly, the timing couldn#t "e "etter to "uild an ecosystem of

accelerators, incu"ators and incentive supportive pac$ages to attract

innovation, creativity and capital.

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!n Lew For$ State, Governor Cuomo continues his commitment to focusing

on the upstate economy through the ;egional 9conomic 7evelopment

Councils, various types of ta3 relief, innovative programs li$e StartD& LF,

and a new program that will have upstate regions competing for 1.5

"illion in economic development funding. So while we have these

economic tailwinds at our "ac$, let us not "e complacent here at the local

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;ecently, ! have created the %rstever Saratoga Springs Commission on the

Arts. ogether we will "e wor$ing harder than ever to ta$e the growing

@creative economy to the ne3t level in Saratoga Springs over the

upcoming year. Commission founding mem"ers have "een helpful laying

the groundwor$ in the %rst couple of months. ! plan another round of

appointments to the Commission in *arch. *any citi'ens pro"a"ly don#t

reali'e ust how important this industry is to our city and our region and

how well we are poised to ma$e a di(erence6

7id you $now thatO

PCreative industriesP is the si3th largest sector of employment in the

Capital ;egion, employing roughly the same num"er of people as

higher educationO

he Capital ;egion has the 2nd largest num"er of creative o"s in the

country when compared to similarly si'ed metroareasO

he time to em"race this "lossoming industry is now. And in an e(ort to do

ust that, my administration has applied for a federal grant, through the

Lational 9ndowment for the Arts QL9AR to fund an @Arts *aster &lan that

will help lay the groundwor$ for my vision to ma$e this city the gateway for

artistic, creative and high tech industries.

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!#m proud to say that DS Senator Chuc$ Schumer, DS Senator )irsten

Gilli"rand, and DS Congressman &aul on$o and the Governor of LFS have

all o(ered their fulledged support, "ecause they "elieve that great things

are ahead for Saratoga Springs and the Capital ;egion.

,) Sustainable !evelopment

As Supervisor and when ! was %rst running for mayor, ! was committed and

will continue my commitment to endorse our City in the Country

fundamental values and ensure that high standards are adhered to on land

use issues and decisions. ! have wor$ed hard with my sta( to adopt the

service mentality while continually loo$ing for ways to more e(iciently and

e(ectively serve the pu"lic from our planning, economic development and

"uilding des$s yet not eopardi'e or compromise our high design standards

and historic preservation for City proects. his commitment includes a

process in which every developer, "uilder and applicant is treated e4ually,

consistently and according to local law.

+e need to implement Complete Streets ensuring that our City streets

accommodate all users. ;ecent statistics show that millennials are actively

choosing to wal$, "i$e or ta$e the "us in lieu of driving cars. And we as a

city must respond and "e forward thin$ing enough to o(er mo"ility choices

to our residents and visitors.

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his spring, the City will $ic$o( the citywide i$e, &edestrian and ransit

&lan that will provide a "lueprint for ne3t steps in implementing "etter

accommodation of these modes in our City.

A Safe ;outes to School initiative in 2015 will see construction of a safe

connection and crossing of Geyser ;oad from neigh"orhoods to the Geyser

9lementary School, Eeteran#s *emorial &ar$, and Grande !ndustrial &ar$

than$s to 2I>,000 in funding from LFS 7-. his proect reects a strong

partnership with the Saratoga Springs School 7istrict who will create a

policy where students are allowed to wal$ and "i$e to school, and serve as

a model for Safe ;outes to School programs in other schools within the

district.

he Green"elt rail envisioning an interconnected hu" and spo$es system

that wraps around and into our downtown was adopted "y the City Council

this past year. +e already have our %rst tangi"le piece coming to life with

the Geyser ;oad rail. ! have also recently appointed a 7owntown

Connector Committee that will focus on connecting our ur"an par$s and

implementing this $ey portion in the heart of our City.

Climate Smart e(orts are ma$ing great headway. A 2megawatt solar par$

proect on the city#s old land%ll will "e one of the %rst of its $ind in LFS.

-ur Climate Smart Communities as$ orce is wor$ing hard on

recommendations for reducing emissions and saving the city money

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through vehicle eets Qwe are purchasing our %rst electric am"oni for the

ice rin$R, water 4uality and water plant e(iciencies, audits for small

"usinesses and city facilities and, a new program @Solari'e Saratoga.

o appropriately marry Creative 9conomy and Sustaina"le 7evelopment, !

proudly announce today a series entitled @!magine Saratoga6 he Le3t

Century, which will "e a group of charettes to "e conducted on speci%c

land use issues, planning and economic development issues, economic

issues and senior issues. &ossi"le topics include, Creative 9conomy, A

master arts plan/ South roadway Qwhere the Gaps Committee left o(R/

:ousing for young professionals/ and par$ing8transportation. +e will "e

partnering with organi'ations such as Sustaina"le Saratoga, Saratoga

County Arts Council, and S97C to cosponsor the charettes. All are

welcome, and as always, your input will "e appreciated.

-) $ousing

o satisfy our pledge to end veterans# homelessness and to address options

for housing/tonight ! announce the creation of a :ousing as$ orce. =o"

T1 for this tas$ force will "e to help us end veteran#s homelessness in our

community. &eriod. =o" T2 for this group will "e to evaluate the stoc$ and

if and how our city can provide a "etter variety of housing options for

seniors, people wor$ing in the hospitality industry, artists, young

professionals, and wor$ing families. his group made up of

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representatives from area housing agencies, together with my

administration and our new positive relationship with the Saratoga Springs

:ousing Authority and ;&C, will tac$le some of the di(icult data collection

and housing concerns that ! regularly hear a"out from many of you.

! would "e remiss if ! didn#t o(er a "rief update "efore ! close on a couple

of more general city issues6

".'s

As a supportive mechanism of racing, an agreement reached in 2002 states

that vlts would "e placed at the Saratoga ;acino and in return, we would

receive a certain percentage of revenue in e3change for "eing the host

City. -nce again our E


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Investigations

As reported in the media, "oth the Attorney General#s o(ice and the LFS

Comptroller#s o(ice are actively conducting investigations regarding a

particular real estate transaction and policies surrounding the no longer

e3isting water connection ordinance. ! have already indicated that !

"elieve no maor changes to ordinances or laws should "e acted on until

the investigations are %nished. Although, speculation would "e

inappropriate, ! can report that all departments are fully cooperating and

we are very much loo$ing forward to putting this "ehind us and implement

recommendations made resulting in improvements on how the city is run.

Court system

LFS has seen Saratoga Springs as deserving of a second full time city

court udge. As a result of this addition, it is the city#s responsi"ility to

provide a second courtroom. he state pays for the personnel/ the Cities

pay for the facility. 7&+, as $eeper of all city "uildings and grounds sent

out an ;V for an engineer to ma$e recommendations where and how we

add the second courtroom. Study results are e3pected "ac$ soon and

discussions, and potentially a decision, will occur in 2015.

han$ you to our City udges =e( +ait and =im 7oern for assisting my o(ice

with our communications and meetings with LFS -(ice of Court

Administration.

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City Center Garage

he City Center has a speci%c mission of "ringing conventions and

meetings into downtown and they do a great o". !t is vital that we as a

city support this institution as much as possi"le. -(season, it has "een

said that our City Center is the economic engine for our downtown

"usinesses. he current proposal of a City Center par$ing structure on city

owned property meets their "usiness needs and goals, "ut many citi'ens

have e3pressed concerns regarding the aesthetic appropriateness of the

structure as relating to its surrounding environment.

-ur land use "oards and the City Council mem"ers must also do their o"s

and together %gure out a solution that satis%es the City Center needs, will

increase commerce downtown, while not ta$ing away from our historic

downtown#s character, and what is the "est solution for the entire

community.

A/! FI/A..01 at t*e top of our list for +2(3 4 '$ C/'//IA.

! want to than$ *arylou +hitney and =ohn :endric$son for agreeing to

serve as :onorary Chairs of this ela"orate yearlong cele"ration. Also, we

need to give a "ig than$ you to 9leanor *ullaney and Steve Sullivan who

answered my call and are serving the city well as cochairs of the

Centennial &lanning Committee.

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he e3tensive list of do'ens of volunteers who have "een as$ed to ta$e part

on this planning committee and who are stepping up to the plate are too

numerous to mention. ! do want to recogni'e our chairs of the su"

committees we#ve created to allow even more residents to get involved. +e

have a full calendar of events and special programs planned to honor our

past. &lease pic$ up a copy on your way out and chec$ out the interesting

stories on our new we"site www.saratogacentennial.com. Some of the

year#s highlights will include the following6

- Dnveiling of Centennial &ar$ - ;e dedication of our very own sym"ol of our community spirit6 he

Spirit of


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!n conclusion, during 2015 we have 100 years to cele"rate "ut the ne3t

century to plan for. +e will do "oth this year. he vision outlined this

afternoon is to "e the "right star economically focusing on the creative

economy. +e will plan, as a City in the Country, to get the "est smart

growth, ur"an designs, and diverse pac$age of assets that we possi"ly can

to "e "oth competitive as well as astute and vigilant to our 4uality of life

needs.

!#ve always said, and continue to "elieve, it#s not ust the issues, "ut how

you do the people#s "usiness. :ow will we accomplish our goals this yearO

As we did this year, with fortitude, with compassion andU with, A


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Documents

2015 Saratoga Springs State of the City Address February 7th