Board meeting rife with contention
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. >> The Ballston Spa village board met Monday to discuss routine topics such as approving money for fire department equipment, library books and new carpeting for the police department.
But the meeting became more spirited as discussions about government transparency, the standstill between the village and the city of Saratoga Springs regarding the Geyser Road Trail, and the village’s lack of a presence on social media took place
While the meeting was, overall, marked by politeness and civility, at times the tone of the meeting became somewhat more contentious and strained.
When Mayor John Romano raised the issue of a well that needed a new pump to be installed, which will cost approximately $16,0000, a discussion of the need for greater transparency and more advance notice of meeting agendas was raised by new board member Noah Shaw.
The board’s newest members, Shaw and Shawn Redmond, were recently elected in March.
When Shaw inquired what percentage of the budget would be used for the purchase and installation of a new pump, the mayor responded that he did not have the budget in front of him.
“We had no advance notice,” said Shaw, referring to the request to approve the purchase and installation of the well equipment. “We have no budget in front of us and the language about the RFP is misleading.”
On another topic, Romano informed the board of the state’s request for local municipalities to come up with plans to implement shared services. He read a list of shared services initiatives the vil-
lage is already participating in, with the adjacent towns of Milton, Ballston and Malta, which have resulted in considerable cost savings to the village and the other communities.
He tasked the board to report back by May 12 with additional ideas to include in the required proposal to the state by Aug. 1.
The ongoing topic of allowing the city of Saratoga Springs to extend its recreational trail along Geyser Road property prompted more conversation between village residents and board members. Romano noted he had not received any communication from Saratoga Springs and said that the issue of keeping the nearby watershed secure was still an important consideration in the board’s position against the trail.
Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen said the city is in the process of preparing personal letters to each of the property owners, and they will be hearing from the city soon.
“There is 20 percent of our city residents who are very much looking forward to having a safe, multiuse trail from the Milton town line to the beautiful Spa state park. The city is committed to being an even more walkable, bikeable community,” she said.
The issue of social media and creating a Facebook page for the village elevated the level of tension at the meeting once more. While the mayor said he would continue to discuss the pros and cons of having a village Facebook page, he continued to have serious reservations about using it for village communications.
Once the meeting was open to public comment, resident Frank Rossi Jr. pointed out to Shaw that he was using the same Facebook page that he used during his election campaign and talked about the issue of responsibility, noting that, “Before we point fingers at others, we should look at our own Facebook pages.”
Shaw responded that he and the mayor have had constructive conversations about incorporating social media, and that “No one has been pointing fingers. The idea of the village having a social media presence should not be a controversy.”
Shawn Raymond agreed that a Facebook page was a good idea and it should be used as a bulletin board where residents can easily access information about goingson in the village.
Romano cautioned Rossi that, “The public doesn’t run the meetings. I do.” By the end of the meeting, the mood in the room had gone from civil to contentious.