Discussion of the city’s upcoming capital projects at the Tuesday, Aug. 21, Saratoga Springs City Council meeting turned into a debate on the cost and necessity of a new public safety building to house police and court staff.
A public hearing on the city’s capital program budget was held before the meeting. The budget calls for $25.8 million for improvements in the 2008 budget, $17.7 million in 2009 and $19.9 million in 2010 before dropping down to $2.4 million in 2011.
During the public hearing, city residents questioned why the entire $17 million for the public safety building was in next year’s budget proposal when the city hasn’t even decided on a site.
There’s no way we’re going to spend all $17 million next year, said resident Charlie Morrison.
Commissioner of Accounts John Franck said he believed the only way the city could afford the public safety building was if the council again raised the bonding limit. Last year, the city raised its bonding limit from 1 to 2 percent of the five-year average assessed value of real property in the city. That new bonding limit equates to about $49.81 million. The city currently has nearly $24 million in outstanding debt, so the city would have to use most of its remaining available bonding for the $25.8 million 2008 capital program.
Franck said the city would probably have to increase its bonding limit to 4 percent.
`It can’t be done any other way,` he said. `This is Monopoly money. We can’t afford to do this. We are mortgaging our children’s future.`
Mayor Valerie Keehn made her thoughts on the subject known through a written statement issued the day before the meeting.
`Just as we must invest to secure a sound and prosperous future for our families, we must invest to secure a sound and prosperous future for our community,` she said. `No caring community or responsible government can continue to ignore the conditions in which our police, emergency service dispatchers and civilian safety employees labor. The environment is unsafe, unhealthy and unsanitary. Nor can we continue to ignore the real problems which inadequate space for even essential police functions, crime victim interviews, evidence handling and storage present. Not to act now will only delay ` and make more costly ` the inevitable.`
Public Safety Commissioner Ron Kim said a new public safety building needed to be addressed now. He agreed with Franck that it is difficult to raise taxes, but derided the 1 percent bonding limit, as it obviously hasn’t allowed the city to resolve the need for a new police station.
Public Works Commissioner Tom McTygue suggested alleviating the overcrowding problem at the police department by moving the Investigations division to another building temporarily.
Kim and police Chief Ed Moore disagreed.
`I can tell you from my experience it would not work,` said Moore, who ran investigations for 10 years. He said patrol and investigations are closely connected and said McTygue’s suggestion was akin to him cutting off his arm and asking it to work across town.
Aside from the $17 million earmarked for the safety building, next year’s capital budget also includes $3.65 million for storm drainage improvements in the southeast of the city, $1.9 million for the Saratoga Lake water project, $300,000 for improvements at the Public Works garage, $200,000 for development of the city’s waterfront property on Saratoga Lake, and $100,000 for design and site development of an East Side EMS and fire station.
2009 projects include $7.55 million for the water project, $4.32 million for the fire station and $1.28 million for rehab of the Canfield Casino. 2010 includes $11.05 million for a parking deck.
A public meeting on the capital budget will be held next Tuesday, Aug. 27, at the public library at 7 p.m. Another public hearing will be held prior to the next council meeting, at 6:15 p.m. on Sept. 4.“