Trustee: Cut budget by $222K Board meets today on $5.7M in spending plan BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Trustee Armon Benny is suggesting more than $222,000 in budget cuts, as the village Board of Trustees is set to meet today at 4:30 p.m. to vote on the proposed $5.7 million spending for 2008-2009. As proposed, the budget has a 1 percent increase in spending over the current year. It also includes a $472,000 bond, which would pay for new garage doors for the Public Works Building, a packer truck, vehicle wash station, a leaf sweeper and replacement of the park pavilion. Benny proposes reducing the borrowing plan by nearly $100,000 by cutting out items such as the sweeper, the washing station and an exhaust system for the Department of Public Works. Benny said in a press release this will reduce interest costs by more than $120,000 over the long term. He also proposes to eliminate a proposed new court security offi cer and hold off on police vehicle replacement and repairs to the police and fire buildings. Benny also wants to use $47,950 from capital reserve accounts instead of raising taxes. In addition, Benny recommends spending $2,000 to tape village meetings for reply on public access television and use some of the sales tax revenue allocated by Metroplex to fund economic development. Benny said his budget reflects the village’s priorities. “I see these things as what would a reasonable person expect us to cut when they’re looking at their budget over their kitchen table,” he said. “They’re great things, they’re nice things to do if a perfect world existed right now and financial times were different.” Mayor Kris Kastberg said he is disappointed that Benny shared his ideas with the media before he talked them over with the trustees. “Sending e-mails to a group of people in the village does not seem appropriate,” he said. Kastberg, a Democrat, and Benny, a Republican have frequently been at odds in the past. Kastberg said he agrees with Benny that the $80,000 for a wash station has to be removed. It is too much for the village to handle by itself. However, Kastberg said the tax rate is actually going to be flat or down a couple of cents for the initial projection of a two cent increase to $10.45 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Kastberg said it makes sense for the village to take care of its priorities now instead of waiting. “We should see at least three years of a pretty steady rate,” he said.
SCOTIA Village keeps fi re chief $5.6M budget funds position, trims tax rate BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Fire Chief Richard Kasko will keep his job for now and village residents will see a cut in their taxes after the Board of Trustees on Tuesday adopted a $5.6 million spending plan. The projected tax rate is $10.12 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, which is a 31-cent decrease from this year. A resident with a house assessed at $124,000 would pay about $1,255 in taxes, a reduction of about $38 per year. Mayor Kris Kastberg said the board decided to hold off on any fire department changes. “We’re still exploring options for administration of the fire house, but have not settled on any single option,” he said. The board appropriated $70,000 for Kasko’s salary by taking it from a line item for retirement expenses. Resident Karen Knuth of 124 N. Holmes St. spoke in favor of keeping the position. Property she owns at 514 S. Holmes St. was hit by a blaze next door, and she said the quick response of the Scotia Fire Department kept the damage from being worse. She worried that eliminating the chief’s position would be the first step toward eliminating the department altogether. “I don’t want to consolidate services with Schenectady,” she said. Kasko said he was obviously happy with the decision. He said Kastberg has not shared his longrange plans for the department. However, the fire chief issue is apparently not going away. Following a lengthy executive session to discuss personnel issues, the board voted to schedule a public hearing for 7 p.m. May 14 on a proposed ordinance change that would allow the village to contract out for fire management services. Civil service officials have said that the village is not legally required to have a paid fire chief. However, Kastberg said the village’s current code does not allow the village to contract out fire management services. Most of Monday’s four-hour meeting was on the budget. The board cut about $100,000 from Kastberg’s original budget proposal. Cuts included $23,500 allocated for a fire vehicle replacement fund, $22,000 from a contingency fund and $10,000 from a building maintenance fund. Deputy Mayor Joe Rizzo, who voted in opposition, said the village needs to spend money on maintenance. “You wouldn’t keep your house the same way we keep this building,” he said. The board removed $27,000 for license plate readers and cameras for the police cars and will seek grant funding instead. The village is going to purchase GPS devices for the vehicles. It will clean — instead of paint — the fire bays to save about $17,500. It also eliminated the purchase of a small trailer to hold special new mowing equipment. The board is going to save roughly $26,000 because it got a slightly lower rate for workers’ compensation insurance. Funding left in the budget included $5,000 to have a dedicated security officer for village court nights. Whether that is a Scotia police officer or part-time security officer is still undecided. The board added $2,400 to tape Village Board meetings and $20,000 in economic development money from Metroplex targeted to paving John Street.
SCHENECTADY COUNTY OFFICIALS URGE MCDONALD’S TO SELL SITE Posted on: 04/25/08 Written by: Ross Marvin, Spotlight Staff email: marvinr@spotlightnews.com
The former McDonald’s restaurant at 25 Mohawk Ave. in Scotia can no longer boast of serving more than a million burgers and fries to area residents.
In fact, for the last three years, the vacant McDonald’s hasn’t served anyone. The building’s windows are boarded up and covered with graffiti, and the parking lot on the property is riddled with potholes.
Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature Susan E. Savage, D-Niskayuna, calls the property a “blighted building,” and that’s why, she said, she sent a letter to a McDonald’s Corp. executive last week, urging the fast food giant to sell their site.
According to county officials, an unnamed local developer has put in an offer to purchase the property. Ray Gillen, chair of the Metroplex Development Authority, said the developer wished to remain confidential.
In her letter, addressed to Richard Crawford, McDonald’s corporate vice president of government relations, Savage said she was “concerned about the safety, appearance, and the generally poor conditions that exist” at the vacant site.
She said that in its current condition, the building reflects poorly on its neighbors, namely a branch of the County Public Library and Collins Park, where the greening grass of early spring stands in stark contrast with the deteriorating former-burger joint.
Savage also said that continuing vandalism to the property has been a detriment to redeveloping the area.
“The goal is to take down the building and develop the site,” said Gillen. “The current condition is an eyesore and is unacceptable, and we have communicated that to McDonald’s, via the letter from Susan Savage.”
Savage’s letter made it clear that an offer had been made to purchase the site.
“We understand that McDonald’s has received an offer from a local developer to buy the site, clean-up any environmental issues at the site at their expense, and indemnify McDonald’s from any future liability,” wrote Savage.
“The developer has offered a fair price to McDonald’s in view of the fact that the site is vacant and the closed restaurant is in extremely poor condition.”
Gillen and other county officials would not say what the future use of the building might be.
A Prudential Blake-Atlantic Reality sign in front of the property reads “land lease/or build to suit,” in bright red letters, but even the sign itself is broken.
According to Prudential Blake-Atlantic’s Web site, Michael Del Vecchio is the realtor for the property. Calls to Del Vecchio were not immediately returned. The Web site though, did provide some information on the property. The 1.1-acre lot rents for $1.60 per-square-foot-per-year.
The site also states that the best uses for the former restaurant include the possibility of various retail facilities, a pharmacy, a service station, a bank, a motel, a strip mall or office space.
County officials said McDonald’s has no interest in re-opening a store at the site and urged the company to remove from any sale agreement a condition that the site not be used by another restaurant.
Savage emphasized that the village of Scotia would have the final approval on any project or potential zoning changes. The property is currently zoned for commercial use.
County Legislator Joe Suhrada said he wasn’t sure why it was the county’s job to interfere with a private real estate transaction.
“It’s disgusting,” he said. “It’s the way things are, the county has its pet developers.”
Earlier this year, Gillen cited the McDonald’s site as a key area of redevelopment in Scotia. The county plans a number of façade improvements on Mohawk Avenue as part of its main street initiative in county municipalities.
Savage also said that redevelopment on Mohawk Avenue would be an extenuation of the work done to State Street, in Schenectady, only a few blocks away.
“I don’t want to give the impression that Scotia has a problem with urban blight,” she said. “But we took care of the remaining blight on State Street and this is a continuation of that initiative.” You can contact marvinr@spotlightnews.com with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below.
Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature Susan E. Savage, D-Niskayuna, calls the property a “blighted building,” and that’s why, she said, she sent a letter to a McDonald’s Corp. executive last week, urging the fast food giant to sell their site.
Quoted Text
According to county officials, an unnamed local developer has put in an offer to purchase the property. Ray Gillen, chair of the Metroplex Development Authority, said the developer wished to remain confidential.
Quoted Text
County Legislator Joe Suhrada said he wasn’t sure why it was the county’s job to interfere with a private real estate transaction. “It’s disgusting,” he said. “It’s the way things are, the county has its pet developers.”
I must agree with Mr. Suhrada's view. The developer should be privately contacting the McDonald's Corporation without government involvement. This unnamed local developer has already put in an offer to purchase the property. Local government officials and agencies should not be part of a private real estate transaction.
This is a possibility, but how many people that are dealing with bankruptcy are looking to removate any type of property, much less buy a store like that and go through full changes?
The County and the Metroplex have no spot requesting from a higher-up that the corporation strong-arm the owner of this building to sell.
SCOTIA Village shop owner facing jail or $5K fine Old antique store ruled fire hazard BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Goot at 395-3105 or mgoot@dailygazette.net
The owner of a former antiques shop on Mohawk Avenue has been found guilty of a code violation and faces a $5,000 fine. Last fall, the village filed a lawsuit against Robert Williams, the owner of former store at 302 Mohawk Ave., because officials said all the furniture and material stuffed into the building constituted a fire hazard. On Thursday, Judge Jason Frament found Williams guilty on a violation of accumulation of combustibles. Village Attorney Lydia Marola said Williams will return to court later this week for further sentencing. “He indicated he’d prefer to go to jail instead, so he was advised to speak with an attorney and come back,” she said. The village clerk’s office confirmed that Williams will be sentenced on Thursday at 6 p.m. In March, Williams told the court he was slowly beginning to remove items, but it was taking a while because he had accumulated 20 years worth of material. However, it was not to the village’s satisfaction. “It’s quite obvious that there is still a lot there,” Marola said. She added that the village will continue to make sure the material is removed. Contacted by telephone, Williams said “I have nothing to say to you” and hung up. Village officials have been attempting to crack down on code issues. Mayor Kris Kastberg said he hoped that Williams would continue to clean out the building. “If he continues to just pay the fine and do jail time, we’ll charge him again,” he said. Still, Kastberg said it is critical to spruce up the other end of the village’s main street. Earlier this month, County Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, sent a letter to the owners of the vacant McDonald’s on Mohawk Avenue near the entrance to the village. She asked the owner to sell the parcel so it could be redeveloped instead of being allowed to stay in its run-down state. One of the village’s other code cases — that of an unseaworthy sailboat — has been resolved. Village officials had filed a lawsuit against William “Rex” Lyons over a run-down boat he kept at his driveway at 14 N. Holmes St. Earlier this month, Kastberg informed the Board of Trustees that the boat has been removed.
GLENVILLE Town spring trash pickup a time of cleanup, scavenging BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Get those bulk waste items out on the street because an annual rite of spring — bulk pick-up week — is under way. Public Works Commissioner Rick LeClair said that collection of items at the curb started Sunday and will continue through Saturday. This year’s bulk pick-up almost did not happen after the Town Board voted in October to cut the budget. The board on April 2 voted to appropriate $67,000 to fund both the leaf pickup and bulk waste programs. County Waste is paying the prevailing wage and the program is only costing $9,900, LeClair said. He added that he was very supportive of restoring funding to the program. He believes the expense, which amounts to about $13 per resident, is more cost-effective than if people had to pay individually to dispose of items. Items that can be collected are furniture; rugs and carpets that are no longer than 4 feet; and mattresses and box springs and wood no longer than 4 feet and no wider than 3 inches in diameter. County Waste can also take grills, sinks, toilets, tubs, televisions and appliances with all doors removed from refrigerators and freezers. It will also take metal items that are not longer than 6 feet as long as they are separated from other waste. Items that are not accepted include tree stumps, limbs and branches; propane tanks; tires; paints, stains, sealers and solvents; wet or dry chemicals; loose trash or rubbish; computer or computer components; and motor oil and fuels. LeClair said County Waste will only make one trip through town. The bulk pick-up week has become sort of an annual tradition, where people try to collect interesting things on the side of the road, according to Supervisor Frank Quinn. “If you were driving around on Saturday or Sunday, you would have seen truck after truck picking up all the stuff that’s on the street,” he said.
County Waste is paying the prevailing wage and the program is only costing $9,900, LeClair said. He added that he was very supportive of restoring funding to the program. He believes the expense, which amounts to about $13 per resident, is more cost-effective than if people had to pay individually to dispose of items.
How come we can't do this in Rottedam? I would pay the $13 bucks!! What a wonderful service. I think that our town board should contact County Waste and get some prices.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
GLENVILLE Cop who allegedly shot potato gun awaits court BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
The town police officer accused of using a potato gun to shoot out a parking lot light behind the police station is due in court in Niskayuna on May 7. Christopher Charnews faces a felony charge of third-degree criminal mischief and two misdemeanors of fourth-degree criminal mischief for allegedly damaging the light behind the Glenridge Road police headquarters last August. He also allegedly lighted two boxes of road flares in the police parking lot last February. Another officer, Edward Casey, resigned on April 2 following an internal investigation. Police Chief Michael Ranalli has not disclosed whether it is related to the incident with which Charnews is charged. Both had been placed on paid leave in mid-March. The case was transferred to Niskayuna Town Court because of a conflict of interest since he is a Glenville police officer. The department is seeking his termination. The suspension and resignation leaves the department with 20 officers instead of its normal complement of 22. Ranalli said the department is using overtime because it is short-staffed. “We are paying overtime when necessary to fill those slots. It’s not necessary every night. I can’t tell you how much it is. A lot depends on how much the remaining officers assigned to the shift take time off,” he said.
GLENVILLE Town ends year with extra funds Board not ready to spend more, pending budget details BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Goot at 395-3105 or mgoot@dailygazette.net.
The town finished 2007 with a bigger-than-anticipated surplus, but officials are not ready to commit to any new spending. The Town Board met on Wednesday to discuss the current status of the budget. Town Administrator Tony Germano before the meeting that the town finished 2007 with a fund balance, or surplus, of $1.6 million. When it approved the budget last October, the Town Board agreed to maintain a fund balance of $900,000. Germano said a variety of items contributed to the higherthan-expected revenues, including conservative budgeting. “It’s good management in terms of containing costs,” he said. For the first three months of 2008, the town’s expenses are up slightly. “We anticipated that with rising fuel and other operational costs,” he said. Germano said revenues are slightly up. The town is anticipating $200,000 more in sales tax revenue, according to county estimates. Also, earlier this year, the town raised a variety of its fees from items such as building permits and commercial site plans. The Town Board is considering if it wants to make any additional expenditures like road paving or highway equipment purchases. It may also need to increase the budget for overtime. “These were places within the budget where we did make some cuts,” Germano said. The board cut overtime projections by $84,000 when it adopted the budget last fall. Overtime could potentially be an issue. Currently, the police department has 20 officers, not including one on suspension. Police Chief Michael Ranalli said he is using overtime to fill the gaps but did not have specific numbers. Supervisor Frank Quinn has previously expressed concern about revenue — particularly sales tax and mortgage tax receipts — falling short of expectations with the slumping economy. Quinn said he wants to keep the tax rate stable with no great fluctuations from year to year. Board member Chris Koetzle said Thursday he did not have a clear understanding of how the town arrived at the budget figures. He said the board directed Comptroller George Phillips to come back with more information. “The fund balance is much more than we thought. That’s kind of a frustrating thing many board members are having. One day it’s one set of numbers and then it changes somewhat drastically,” he said. Koetzle said the board is not in a position to decide on any new spending until it gets more information. Among some of the projects that need to be considered are a paving program, Koetzle said. “For the past couple of years, we’ve kind of gotten away from that,” he said. Other items to possibly consider are bonding for a new police communications system or giving out the raises that the department heads voluntarily held back to reduce the 2008 budget. Among some small-ticket items Koetzle said the Town Board plans to restore are $600 for Freedom Park and $1,000 for the Memorial Day parade. No decisions were made. The board will continue its discussion at its work session on May 14.
GLENVILLE Police officer pleads guilty, quits Cop caused damage to light with potato gun BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Goot at 395-3105 or mgoot@dailygazette.net.
The Glenville police officer who used a potato gun to shoot out a parking lot light behind the police station has pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor criminal charges and resigned his position. Christopher Charnews, 35, pleaded guilty in Niskayuna Town Court on Wednesday as part of an agreement with prosecutors. Charnews caused an estimated $630 worth of damage to the light behind the Glenridge Road police headquarters last August. He also lighted two boxes of road flares in the police parking lot last February. The flares cost $130 total. Charnews had initially faced a felony count of criminal mischief and two misdemeanor counts, but they were reduced to misdemeanors. Judge Paul S. Zonderman said Charnews must pay restitution for the damage and stay out of trouble for six months. Charnews said after his plea, “I’m just moving on with my wife and kids.” The case was heard in Niskayuna Town Court to avoid any professional conflict. Charnews had been with the force since 2004 and spent three years before that as a dispatcher. He had been on paid leave since mid-March following an internal investigation. Another officer, Edward Casey, was also placed on paid leave at that time and resigned on April 2. Police Chief Michael Ranalli has not disclosed whether it is related to the incident with which Charnews was charged. Ranalli said Charnews’ resignation was effective immediately. He said Charnews would forfeit money owed him for compensatory time to cover the cost of restitution. The two resignations leave the department with 20 officers instead of its normal complement of 22. Ranalli said previously the department is using overtime because it is short-staffed, but has not provided a specific number. Ranalli said he intends to fill the positions pending Town Board approval. He said the plea agreement was a good resolution for the taxpayers. “We need to put this incident behind us and we need to move on,” he said. A third officer, Tim Smith, was suspended without pay in connection with an unrelated incident at about the same time. He has since returned to duty.
Depot auction part of plan for growth U.S. will sell part of former Navy site that includes office space
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer First published: Thursday, May 8, 2008
GLENVILLE -- Schenectady County officials say that the upcoming open auction of a 7.5 acre part of the former Scotia Navy Depot will hopefully begin the process of redeveloping the depot's total 70 acres. The county says the U.S. General Services Administration will put the parcel at 1 Amsterdam Road up for auction. The land includes a former Navy office structure that has 40,000 square feet of space. Some basic information is available at http://www.property disposal.gsa.gov, but opening and closing dates for the auction are not listed.
The auction is expected to be the first movement in efforts to redevelop the Navy Depot, which hasn't been used in decades. In June 2006, U.S. Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, said the GSA had agreed to mark the federal depot property next to Scotia-Glenville Industrial Park as surplus. The Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority hoped at the time to combine the depot site with the nearby existing 150-acre industrial park. County officials say Schenectady County is also in discussions with GSA on the larger 60-acre parcel that's adjacent to the former Navy site. The goal is to develop the 7-acre and 60-acre parcels for private businesses as shovel-ready sites and put them back on the tax rolls. The site offers rail service and direct access to the Thruway Exit 26 bridge. The county's Industrial Development Agency recently received state funding to do a master plan for the proposed business park. "Transfer of this land near Exit 26 and in the heart of the Scotia Glenville Industrial Park is something that the county's economic development team has worked on for almost four years," Schenectady County Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage said in a statement. "This property transfer is important to our economic development effort."
SCOTIA — McDonald’s corporate officials have removed graffi ti and cleaned up their vacant store on Mohawk Avenue in response to pressure from county officials. Recently, County Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage, DNiskayuna, wrote to the fast food giant’s representatives asking them to clean up the site, which has not been used since the restaurant closed in January 2005. McDonald’s General Manager John S. Lambrecht wrote back and said that they have repaired vandalism damage and painted over graffiti.
Went by it yesterday----still looks like crappy eye sore......THEY CAN DO BETTER--get the clown out there cleaning it up......at least make a facade other than plywood over windows---geez, take a look at your CEO's salary and your stocks........duh,,,,,,,,,
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
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