[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6546102,"mediaKeyId","3842942-0cfd3dadfc711bd6e43c92e62eb374ce","parentId",3842942,"title","Saratoga Springs commissioners brace for vote to repeal section of 2023 executive-employee resolution amid heated exchanges","audioSeconds",479,"startMs",248000,"endMs",727000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842942-0cfd3dadfc711bd6e43c92e62eb374ce&start=248&end=727","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842942-0cfd3dadfc711bd6e43c92e62eb374ce/thumbnail_248000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6546102/Saratoga-Springs-City/Saratoga-County/New-York/Saratoga-Springs-commissioners-brace-for-vote-to-repeal-section-of-2023-executive-employee-resolution-amid-heated-exchanges","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6546102-e7501860f3ce94fe6e7bd3e799bbfbc1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203128&Signature=Xk2OgXkFEOnbCFog2WAp3VW4P9PFpbP3IndCSP4tvVOUq71ijhw1nHjgm~C9cpqEGR3fMY1Ddl-1H4dwJ3rVkN9BjyPzk7hnPgacykULK7h4ZELybj8EPpZ0OEtd4ZsdGz0p7dW~k01guS~kj91~-UqYPCu0Hf-GNviJEUIc~OxdHeSpgbTDv7cB7XmuZCO6PucGAgVOZKNIxNPk0wwDlUXXXYRkqQwR2aqLhb1sFB5aLwmnt0jUqgTVuPGOifFZ1L8EOej~gy~8I1hxRd~elA5n8-96ZsYKMJdZ6sj7osJAtNP~aoQOFYzDxVI6VGe9GwxGqMvJ8dHVFTLj8Xw-XQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Saratoga","date","2025-06-16T00:00:00Z","article","Saratoga Springs City Council members scheduled a vote to repeal Section E of a Feb. 21, 2023 resolution covering nonunion full-time executive employees and to consider a memorandum of agreement with CSEA Local 1000 (AFSCME, AFL-CIO). Mayor Stafford said the repeal and the union memorandum would be on the agenda for the next meeting and that the council would vote on them \"tomorrow.\"

The matter drew sharp remarks from one commissioner, who criticized how the items were placed on the agenda, accused other officials of collusion and said the city has incurred more than $100,000 in legal bills related to what the commissioner described as a false allegation and an investigation. The commissioner said the district attorney ultimately found no substance to the allegation. The council set the repeal and associated items for formal action at the next meeting.

Why it matters: the repeal and the memorandum of agreement could change pay or administrative rules for nonunion executive staff and affects bargaining-unit relations with CSEA Local 1000. The debate also highlighted council tensions over communication, timing of negotiations and the city’s handling of a prior investigation that several speakers said led to substantial legal expenses.

Council discussion and complaints about process dominated the public portion of the agenda item. Several commissioners said they received an email late in the prior week asking for meetings and said short-notice scheduling—particularly immediately following a major weekend—was disrespectful to members with medical or other obligations. One commissioner said they had received an email dated Jan. 3, 2024 that was relevant to the matter and said they would present the related materials at the next meeting.

The council agenda listed a separate item authorizing the mayor to sign a memorandum of agreement with CSEA Local 1000 covering City Hall employees; the administration asked the council to authorize the mayor’s signature. Concerns raised by commissioners included whether there had been adequate advance discussion, how the proposed MOA affects staff who are represented by the bargaining unit, and the timing for bringing personnel-policy changes forward.

City staff and the mayor framed the items as administrative and contractual business to be decided by the council. No formal vote was recorded in the transcript; the council will take the items up at its next meeting.

The transcript also records a related remark asking that, if a policy change reduces benefits for any employee, the council should consider whether to restore or replace those benefits—an option some commissioners indicated they would raise when the vote occurs.

The council’s public record for the item cites the Feb. 21, 2023 resolution that originally created the nonunion executive-employee provisions; the current agenda language identifies Section E of that resolution as the portion proposed for repeal. The council did not describe, in the recorded discussion, the precise text of Section E; council members said final details would be presented at the vote.

Looking ahead: the council scheduled the repeal and the CSEA MOA for a vote at the next meeting and said several commissioners will present additional documents and argument at that time.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Saratoga - City Council Pre Agenda Meeting - Jun 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Saratoga Springs City Council members scheduled a vote to repeal Section E of a Feb. 21, 2023 resolution covering nonunion full-time executive employees and to consider a memorandum of agreement with CSEA Local 1000 (AFSCME, AFL-CIO).","taxTitle","Saratoga Springs City, Saratoga County, New York","taxId",7807,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6546091,"Council sets July 1 hearing on camping ban and considers equipment upgrades, horse lease for mounted unit",77,1238000,1315000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842942-0cfd3dadfc711bd6e43c92e62eb374ce&start=1238&end=1315","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842942-0cfd3dadfc711bd6e43c92e62eb374ce/thumbnail_1238000.jpg","/articles/6546091/Saratoga-Springs-City/Saratoga-County/New-York/Council-sets-July-1-hearing-on-camping-ban-and-considers-equipment-upgrades-horse-lease-for-mounted-unit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6546091-5e914226770cbb13170510486a7410ce/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203128&Signature=o~fDwxchRiyqItjr4WfXcblJEJ2nctQF7~KP2ZWU2ZojbTwT5lOHvQl8KFkld84pd9Ad3RQfZLkGIhS9vmrySJM6LNJgJx3zShjKtC7GUZzwrDD8XoMEn9h0C~bQMaBFp-kem4kVOHdDnt-VdqCq1toSecO3erk1yh0G5q1MUJVYADIBuiOFY-xe4THCQNDkNZ2yzTYcohZtr00PHl7uFn9rcbJZNZnr24wHeRRK~WkoQVUYqIADtP3TYyPp39ipE8Zq55kCP-pFBo08BprKD7Qbbjs3OF5Tng~4fzt4vFTGBN2UDufm8L8eYR0veuqqEvS~ZTQtT7zEln0nEvF4dA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The public-safety portion of the Saratoga Springs agenda included a scheduled public hearing and several equipment and operations items. Police and fire department items were presented as discussion-and-vote items on the next council agenda.

The council set a public hearing for July 1 at 7 p.m. on an ordinance to repeal Article 8b of Chapter 203 of the City Code (\"Streets and Sidewalks: Sitting or Lying on Sidewalks\") and to enact a new Chapter 95a titled \"Camping Prohibited on Certain Property.\" The item will return to the council for public comment and a vote after the July 1 hearing.

The police department requested authorization for the mayor to sign an equine lease agreement with Lisonbee Ernst for a horse named Sly. According to the agenda the horse was pulled from a frozen pond by patrol officers in February and will be added to the mounted unit as the department retires a horse named Apollo; the lease cost was listed as less than $1,000.

The police department also listed an addendum with Biometrics for All, Incorporated to upgrade the integrated interface of the department’s fingerprinting hardware and software. The fire department requested an addendum with River Valley Radio Incorporated to upgrade VP8000 portable radio equipment. Both addenda were presented as items for authorization by the mayor.

The city did not record votes on these items in the transcript; all were placed on the agenda for the next meeting. The city’s public-safety representatives said the items are routine operational upgrades and leasing activity needed for the mounted unit and for improved digital fingerprinting and radio interoperability.","Saratoga Springs public-safety items on the agenda included a July 1 public hearing to repeal a code section on sitting/lying and to enact a camping prohibition chapter, a proposed equine lease to add a horse to the mounted unit for under $1,000, and addenda for fingerprinting software and portable radio upgrades.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6546096,"Saratoga Springs agenda includes EV chargers, contractor invoices, grants and bike-park funding; multiple votes scheduled",132,104000,236000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842942-0cfd3dadfc711bd6e43c92e62eb374ce&start=104&end=236","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842942-0cfd3dadfc711bd6e43c92e62eb374ce/thumbnail_104000.jpg","/articles/6546096/Saratoga-Springs-City/Saratoga-County/New-York/Saratoga-Springs-agenda-includes-EV-chargers-contractor-invoices-grants-and-bike-park-funding-multiple-votes-scheduled","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6546096-5fbc56c35817d644917c7f77676896eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203128&Signature=XjHOCF4l7WZzVYbJfsyi6qfXz8oEhEL~gTHORj-gvFFuxVIiL4LB3sduZ9ZU30CZz9X~w~FRLfEVqCfqRgK6kB0rogR6dZp9NL2TWwH4s56YJeGp-8bcjnZ68OgrIM0Zh09HPamYTMHbBSrQgoGmyIiyPEZuOJpjLU0imGv1nsR5vcPU8LO0ZscTNCybpbSRebBXUhYQtTpTHXniO9g2rEVqay7B1wqemfiMLx421KW~8iSm8F7AoVKSA2QYPq71J8b1AwYXGPO-6sgoYyn2yQBaSo5hQtK09RJGxzoeI7vCzL0boKFMXqCZd2hiVBjcytKI5T63DvG7GgIra6wb9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Saratoga Springs City administration presented a slate of administrative and capital items the council will consider at its next meeting, including hardware purchases, contract amendments, grant applications and budget amendments. Mayor Stafford said multiple items would be on the agenda and several votes are scheduled for the next meeting.

Key items announced for action or public hearing:

- EV charging stations: authorization requested for the mayor to sign an agreement with Plug-In Stations for $21,464 to install four charging stations in the Woodlawn Parking Garage (one dual-port charger on Level 1, one dual-port charger on the bottom level for fleet use, and other chargers as described in the agenda).

- PCORI fee: the city will sign IRS Form 720 for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute fee under the Affordable Care Act; the administration said the amount due for the city’s retiree health reimbursement account is $447.63 based on prior-plan-year covered lives.

- Legal invoices: the administration asked to authorize payment of March and May 2025 invoices from Goldberg and Kremer for union negotiations and other labor matters totaling $29,728.83; the agenda noted those invoices exceed the original purchase order amount and prompted a commissioner’s complaint that purchasing policy had not been followed.

- Garnet River addendum: Finance listed Addendum No. 1 with Garnet River in the amount of $41,000 for mayoral authorization; agenda materials indicate this will be on the finance docket.

- HR salary-grade reallocation policy: council members were briefed on a new human-resources policy that would supersede the previous Finance policy titled “Position Upgrades.” The administration said the policy was developed with Human Resources, Civil Service and CSEA leadership and creates a framework for adjusting a position’s salary grade — without changing the title — based on objective duties and responsibilities. The council will vote on adoption.

- Bike-park capital amendment: a public hearing was set for July 1 at 7 p.m. to amend the capital budget for the bike park to add $10,000 from the city’s subdivision recreation fee fund; the agenda also listed an expected donation from the Shutter’s Club to be finalized before the public hearing.

- Saratoga County Trail Grant: the administration requested permission to apply for a county trail grant to fund signage along the Greenbelt Trail; the Parks and Open Space administration will work with Sustainable Saratoga and the DPW on sign placement to reflect the city’s 2015 comprehensive plan.

- Climb Time LLC: authorization requested for a Climb Time LLC agreement to run a single-day rock-climbing activity for Camp Cerdac at the recreation center; cost for the day is $900. The vendor increased its underlying liability limits by $1,000,000, though the agenda said the vendor did not purchase excess coverage; Risk and Safety indicated the increase satisfied requirements.

Several commissioners raised process questions about invoices and purchasing policy; no votes were recorded in the transcript. Administration representatives said details and backup materials will be presented at the next meeting.","City administration presented multiple administrative and capital items for upcoming council votes: a $21,464 contract for four EV chargers, payment of labor-law firm invoices totaling $29,728.83 that exceed a purchase order, a $41,000 addendum with Garnet River, a $10,000 bike-park capital amendment public hearing and other grants and programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Saratoga Springs commissioners brace for vote to repeal section of 2023 executive-employee resolution amid heated exchanges

Council sets July 1 hearing on camping ban and considers equipment upgrades, horse lease for mounted unit

Saratoga Springs agenda includes EV chargers, contractor invoices, grants and bike-park funding; multiple votes scheduled