The reason City vehicles are usually the same color and
always identified with the City logo is because they are easily identifiable
and uniform. Saratoga has always had
white pickup trucks and orange trucks. However,
since Scirocco has taken over DPW we now have a rainbow of color for City
vehicles with no markings, vehicles for Commissioner, Deputy Comm. And other
Departments who have cars come in green, blue and grey and orange and brown
large trucks (sorry, the brown is rust) and these new vehicles have no logos
but do have city plates. Skip, is this a
ploy so these vehicles can be used for personal use? The City also provides the City Center
Director with a car. Where does Marilyn
Rivers stand on the missing markings on City vehicles?
Installing new sidewalks City Code requires the sidewalk be
of concrete 5’ wide with a metal mesh put in to help prevent heaving and
cracking, many of the new sidewalks installed by the City are not up to code
and at least 2 places 1 business & 1 home were granted an exemption of the
City Code by the Skipster to install pavers to replace concrete. The inside scuttlebutt is that City Engineer
Tim Wales wants to change the City Code to make it law that all sidewalks be
installed with pavers, what nonsense.
What is the status of the new City Garage to be built at
the skating rink property? The City also
owns 2 garages near the Marion Ave. Mobil and recently put a new roof on them,
are they using the building? The garages
would make a great paint garage (maybe they could then repaint the working
orange and rusty trucks orange so they look in good shape or the wood shop,
Skip what about this?
The Democrat & Republican Party’s must be in cahoots. The Party’s refuse to put a candidate up
against 2 Commissioners that can be defeated this year. Michele Madigan could have been in a primary
by a fellow Democrat but Chairman Charlie Brown took her into a room and when
they came out the woman said she wasn’t going to run. Skip also had someone that wanted to primary
him but the Republican Chairman Matthew Hogan refused to consider his request,
as I said these are the 2 candidates who could easily lose their positions this
year. However the Democrats will not run
anyone against Skip (or can’t find a candidate) and the Republicans will not
run anyone against Madigan (or can’t find a candidate) which also leads us to
the conclusion that this form of government cannot find candidates to run for
office.
Speaking of Charter Change the Charter Commission held an open house on
Tuesday May 30th at the City Center and contrary to the 14 members
of the anti - charter change group the open house was very successful. I visited the open house 3 different times
and there were many people asking questions of the Commission members and being
able to take a copy of the proposed Charter and financials. I have listed links from the Capital District
newspapers and a TV station, one article noted that this year the Charter has a better chance of passing because of the mass defection of the
anti-charter members to being pro Charter, while many citizens were getting
informed of the proposed change, the anti-charter group were at Gaffney’s
celebrating at a table for 8.
There was one most notable quote from anti charter
spokesman Dick Sellers husband of Bonnie (Sour Puss) Sellers. “Sellers said he opposes a charter change
because he believes the proposed charter is too ambiguous.” “Very little is in there, "We don't know
what will happen in the transition”. “the discussion about a new charter every
10 years (as the current charter requires) is not worth the time or effort.”
Sorry Dick but other than spreading fear and untruths about
change, the quotes above show why your group is also a sign that you just hate
the thought of change even when proof shows this form does not take us forward
in a professional way but keeps putting us backwards with an unmanaged future
to look forward to.
Oh, by the way Dick, the form of government didn’t put the
springs in Saratoga, didn’t put a State Park in the middle of the City, didn’t
put the 3 Northway entrances to come into our City etc. and Dick and group,
think about this, as you keep saying that this form of government has made
Saratoga what it is today, why wasn’t Saratoga the City that was the envy of
the country in the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s 60’s, 70’s? Give real facts if you can, not quotes that
say looking at a professional form of government “isn’t worth the time or
effort”
As I promised the links to TV and Newspaper articles:
Here
is the Charter Commission website. I got
all of this information because I want to be informed and Dick, it’s worth my
time and effort.
