Publication:Schenectady Daily Gazette; Date:Dec 13, 2008; Section:Local News; Page:12
SARATOGA SPRINGS
Spa State Park gets a break on county sewer bill
BY STEPHEN WILLIAMS Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Stephen Williams at 885-6705 or swilliams@dailygazette.net.
Officials at Saratoga Spa State Park have won a concession from Saratoga County that should save about $54,000 on the park’s sewer bill next year.
The county sewer district has agreed to revise its billing method for the park, using actual flow fi gures rather than billing based on peak use, which appears to have inflated the bill.
That means the park — facing the same budget struggles as all other state agencies — will see its sewer bill drop from $98,700 to an estimated $44,100 with the January bill.
“This level of solid expense cut could really help us,” said Alane Chinian, regional director of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
The sewer bill is the park’s single largest outside bill, she said.
Chinian had complained about the size of the bill at a rate hearing held last month by county sewer commissioners, had her request for a reduction denied, then appealed the rate set by the commissioners to the county Board of Supervisors.
That appeal led to negotiating the new billing method.
The billing was approved Wednesday by the county board’s Law and Finance Committee and should be routinely approved by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday in Ballston Spa as part of a package of sewer rates.
“This is an elegant solution,” Chinian said. “It charges us for what we put in, and that’s fair.”
The 2,500-acre park just south of the city includes the Gideon Putnam Hotel and Conference Center, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the Hall of Springs, several mineral baths, a golf course and two museums. All those facilities are under the state park’s single sewer bill so its sewage flow varies greatly, depending on attendance at SPAC concerts and other activities.
Chinian said last month that there’s also snow-melt running into the sewer lines in the spring, but the park staff is trying to fi x the problem, which is common in aging sewers.
The sewer district will be losing revenue but it won’t mean a significant impact within the $8.9 million sewer rate levy, said James DiPasquale, the district’s executive director.
“It will not affect other users,” said William J. Davis, chairman of the county sewer commission.
Nearly all of the district’s 65,000 customers pay a flat fee annually, based on how much sewage a single-family house is expected to generate, or a multiple of that number for multi-unit buildings and businesses.
The park’s billing was different in that it paid based on a calculation of its annual maximum daily flow, even though an actual metered measurement was available. The meter reading will now be used to calculate the following year’s bill.
“This is the only user this really applies to in this big a manner,” said County Attorney Mark M. Rider
Showing posts with label Daily Gazette. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily Gazette. Show all posts
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Victoria Pool losing significant revenue not opening Memorial Day
Ideas flow on plan for Spa park
Public eager to offer suggestions
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
By Lee Coleman (Contact)
Gazette Reporter
Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dozens of ideas to improve the Saratoga Spa State Park were suggested Monday night — from a fenced-in dog park to better grooming of the park’s cross country ski trails.
More than 200 people attended the first informational meeting on the Spa State Park’s master plan for the next 20 years. The 2,200-acre state park is the first in the state to start a new master plan.
Park Manager Michael Greenslade discussed the many features of the park.
Thomas Lyons, director of resource management for all state parks, then invited members of the audience in the Gideon Putnam Hotel’s ballroom to make comments.
“The park is, for sure, one of the jewels in the state park system,” Lyons said.
Part of the audience was there to encourage the park to continue and improve the “dog park” located on state park land on the east side of South Broadway (Route 9) at Crescent Street. This open, grass-covered field is where people can bring their dogs and allow them to run without a leash.
Ken Ivins, the city’s finance commissioner and a dog owner, said he feels the endangered Karner blue butterfly, which has habitat near the unofficial dog area, and the dogs can co-exist without causing problems.
“Fence in the area we use now,” Ivins said to applause from the audience. Ivins presented the park officials with a petition urging the creation of a safe, fenced-in dog park, with approximately 250 signatures on it from people who live in Saratoga Springs and surrounding towns.
Another segment of the audience was strongly in favor of opening the Victoria and Peerless pools, the two outdoor pools in the park, earlier in the season. They said the park was losing a significant amount of revenue by not opening the pools in late May rather than late June.
Several people asked that better-marked and more bicycle and walking trails be created that connect to trails outside the park.
Mary Beth Delarm of Saratoga Springs said she understands there are 209 acres off Route 50 that the state could purchase to improve the Route 50 entrance to the park.
Dean Higgins of Saratoga Springs said the current uses of the Lincoln Bathhouse on Route 9 near the park’s entrance are not appropriate for such a historic building.
He said when you drive past the former bathhouse there are state park police cruisers and vans parked along the front.
“Restore the Lincoln [bathhouse] to uses that would most serve the community,” Higgins said.
He questioned why the building is filled with state court administrative offices and a park police headquarters.
Another member of the audience suggested the former bathhouse would be an ideal location for a visitor center and/or a small park museum.
John Franck, the city’s accounts commissioner, said there are so many things going on in the park, so many cultural and recreational offerings, that a visitor center somewhere in the park is really needed.
More than one person mentioned restoring the empty Roosevelt No. 2 bathhouse near the park’s administration building. People suggested this be renovated and turned into a museum, interpretive center or visitor center. The building has been empty since the mid-1980s.
Laura Clark of the Saratoga Stryders, a group of running enthusiasts, said she finds too much litter and storm debris along some of the park’s trails. She suggested the courts could assign people to help pick up the litter as part of their sentence.
Others in the audience said litter is a problem because the park has removed trash barrels from many park locations.
Lyons said that all comments at the informational meeting were written down and will be circulated to those who signed up to get information mailed to them on the master plan process.
The next steps in the master plan process include the development of a draft master plan and environmental impact statement by January. A formal public hearing will be held on the draft master plan in February with a final master plan and final environmental impact statement by May 2009. The park officials hope to adopt the final master plan by next May as well.
Alane Ball Chinian, regional parks director, said written comments will be accepted by state parks up until July 18. The written comments should be sent to: Salim Adler, Planning Bureau, Agency Building One, Empire State Plaza, Albany NY 12238 or e-mailed to Adler at: Salim.Adler@oprhp.state.ny.us
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Public eager to offer suggestions
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
By Lee Coleman (Contact)
Gazette Reporter
Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dozens of ideas to improve the Saratoga Spa State Park were suggested Monday night — from a fenced-in dog park to better grooming of the park’s cross country ski trails.
More than 200 people attended the first informational meeting on the Spa State Park’s master plan for the next 20 years. The 2,200-acre state park is the first in the state to start a new master plan.
Park Manager Michael Greenslade discussed the many features of the park.
Thomas Lyons, director of resource management for all state parks, then invited members of the audience in the Gideon Putnam Hotel’s ballroom to make comments.
“The park is, for sure, one of the jewels in the state park system,” Lyons said.
Part of the audience was there to encourage the park to continue and improve the “dog park” located on state park land on the east side of South Broadway (Route 9) at Crescent Street. This open, grass-covered field is where people can bring their dogs and allow them to run without a leash.
Ken Ivins, the city’s finance commissioner and a dog owner, said he feels the endangered Karner blue butterfly, which has habitat near the unofficial dog area, and the dogs can co-exist without causing problems.
“Fence in the area we use now,” Ivins said to applause from the audience. Ivins presented the park officials with a petition urging the creation of a safe, fenced-in dog park, with approximately 250 signatures on it from people who live in Saratoga Springs and surrounding towns.
Another segment of the audience was strongly in favor of opening the Victoria and Peerless pools, the two outdoor pools in the park, earlier in the season. They said the park was losing a significant amount of revenue by not opening the pools in late May rather than late June.
Several people asked that better-marked and more bicycle and walking trails be created that connect to trails outside the park.
Mary Beth Delarm of Saratoga Springs said she understands there are 209 acres off Route 50 that the state could purchase to improve the Route 50 entrance to the park.
Dean Higgins of Saratoga Springs said the current uses of the Lincoln Bathhouse on Route 9 near the park’s entrance are not appropriate for such a historic building.
He said when you drive past the former bathhouse there are state park police cruisers and vans parked along the front.
“Restore the Lincoln [bathhouse] to uses that would most serve the community,” Higgins said.
He questioned why the building is filled with state court administrative offices and a park police headquarters.
Another member of the audience suggested the former bathhouse would be an ideal location for a visitor center and/or a small park museum.
John Franck, the city’s accounts commissioner, said there are so many things going on in the park, so many cultural and recreational offerings, that a visitor center somewhere in the park is really needed.
More than one person mentioned restoring the empty Roosevelt No. 2 bathhouse near the park’s administration building. People suggested this be renovated and turned into a museum, interpretive center or visitor center. The building has been empty since the mid-1980s.
Laura Clark of the Saratoga Stryders, a group of running enthusiasts, said she finds too much litter and storm debris along some of the park’s trails. She suggested the courts could assign people to help pick up the litter as part of their sentence.
Others in the audience said litter is a problem because the park has removed trash barrels from many park locations.
Lyons said that all comments at the informational meeting were written down and will be circulated to those who signed up to get information mailed to them on the master plan process.
The next steps in the master plan process include the development of a draft master plan and environmental impact statement by January. A formal public hearing will be held on the draft master plan in February with a final master plan and final environmental impact statement by May 2009. The park officials hope to adopt the final master plan by next May as well.
Alane Ball Chinian, regional parks director, said written comments will be accepted by state parks up until July 18. The written comments should be sent to: Salim Adler, Planning Bureau, Agency Building One, Empire State Plaza, Albany NY 12238 or e-mailed to Adler at: Salim.Adler@oprhp.state.ny.us
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