SOME NOTES ON THE CITY FRONT

We have several projects going on by Public Works that are questionable by City residents.  The residents are not concerned about the projects but how they are being carried out.  The City is paying (1) City Engineer a salary of $109,039.00 + benefits (health ins., retirement, etc.) also (1) Assistant City Engineer a salary of $109,039.00 + benefits (health ins., retirement, etc.).

Keeping the above figures in mind the DPW Director; yes Skip Scirocco hired an outside engineering firm to plan a water & sewer job on Woodlawn Ave. for a figure of $60,000.00.  Remember we have 2 City Engineers who could have done this job and it wouldn’t cost the City a penny.  Well the code says that a water line must be at least 5 feet underground and 10 feet away from the sewer line. I can see our 2 engineers not knowing the rules but an outside firm?  they should have known this when they submitted the plans ($60,000.00) for the project.  However, the water line sits 3 feet underground and is only 5 feet away from the sewer line which is one of the old clay sewer lines.  This is incompetence at its best and another one of Skippy’s not understanding or the City Engineers understanding of the codes.

The next best thing about this project is that the job must be overseen by one of the City’s 2 engineers, so if this is fact are they as blank as most think or is a pocket being lined?

I would also like to know what plan DPW & DPS has for car, truck or equipment replacement yearly.  I remember when a 19 year old fire truck went to put out a fire and the fire truck caught on fire.  DPW has quite a bit of trucks, cars and dump trucks that need to be replaced and I hope Scirocco does not give the money back to Madigan to make her look good and put the good of the City in jeopardy by not having enough vehicles on the road or having to replace many at one time as I have heard he might have to do.

Having been following the Charter Commission( which had to be assembled by our Charter) via the City website, citizens can learn much about our form of government if they only open their ears and listen to the pros and cons of our form vs. other forms.

In a letter to the editor today written by none other than the mummy of Bonnie Sellers, Richard Sellers, this is a person that is blank and understands nothing about the Commission form or other forms.  Richard, the partner of Bonnie Sellers who make up the Abbot & Costello team in Saratoga Springs have no clue about many things and in the Commission vs other government types.  This duo, along with their uninformed friends use scare tactics not information when discussing these topics.  They offer nothing valuable to the discussion other than ‘look at other cities using another form of government and see how bad they are as compared to Saratoga’, well my friends the form of government did not make Saratoga what it is today, the business people, volunteers, to some extent City officials and having 2 race tracks and Skidmore College in our City along with the Northway led to what Saratoga is today.  If people open their eyes and look around the State there are many good Cities and since we are not #1 in great city’s in the country, there are thousands and thousands that are doing good.  I think one thing that Saratoga Springs does have are people like Dick & Bonita Sellers who spread fear and will not even listen or educate themselves to other ideas, now that doesn’t mean they can’t have their own opinion but stop the fear mongering.


I listened to a local radio show Saturday morning as Commissioner Matheisen was the guest and he spoke on various City topics that made sense and one of the topics he spoke on was form of government, he was the first City official to call for a different form of government (back in January).  You will have to speak with him about the benefits of a possible change and his ideas of why it may be better to do so. BUT NOTE, this current Commission is looking at ways to streamline our current form as well as having guest Mayors and City Managers speak so maybe we can incorporate some of their ways into our Charter to improve it.  The Sellers and their bunch have to get out of the 1920’s and realize we are in 2016 and things change and we need to do what is best for Saratoga and its citizens.  Change it or update and streamline it either one. 

What do you think of Change the form of gov't?  Stay or Change and put a good reason why you think one way or the other.