Well, in quite a coincidence Common Sense, Saratoga put a copy of their proposed charter on line last night an hour after my post asking where it was. Here is a link to the document.
I have had no response to my email asking about who the authors were, who approved it, etc.
Saratoga Springs Politics 
On the City Manager Portion:
Must have a Master’s in Public Administration
Is appointed to serve indefinitely
Arbitrary compensation
Doesn’t need to live in the city
Would have complete control over all departments and their employees
…..Voting NO
The way we are set up may not be perfect, but it is the best defense against corruption and additional tax burdens
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A manifesto based on a page from Steve Bannon’s divide and conquer approach. Still maintaining the idea that the Charter Review Commission actually (and fairly) reviewed our current Charter is untrue. I challenge anyone to produce those definitive examinations other than a cartoonist’s approach to a twelve-year-old or more newspaper article, which is still be shown online as characteristic of the Commission form of government. Intelligent people are better than this fake news. Shame.
I suppose we will have to go through again, the machinations of arguments, the facile cartoon graphics and the battle of the accountants (should we be so fortunate this time around) … or not.
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Sketchy. Very sketchy. I don’t know who stands to benefit from changing our city’s form of government, but they’re determined to change it. They’re obviously going to continue to push votes on it until they find their winning formula to get it through. There is nothing about it that smells right.
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It’s Agenda 21.
They want to push 5G on us.
Ever hear of the “International Property Maintenance Code?”
UN Agenda 21. Sustainable cities. Look it up.
Several neighbors got these fake notices regarding weeds et alia.
It’s all a scam.
5G is big $$$$$$$.
We don’t need it.
We’re getting fiberoptics — fast and safe; better than wi-fi.
5G will fail under the commissioner form of govt.
It will be rammed down our throats with a city manager.
Sustainability is a big scam.
Don’t be conned.
Follow the money.
-JC
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The New York State Property Maintenance Code is one section of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code that is adopted (in its entirety) by the city each year. It is not an inspection checklist for the Building and Public Safety Inspectors to examine every structure in the municipality, but instead acts as a tool for them to use when there is an abandoned property, a derelict property or one whose owner has decided to collect obsolete kitchen and laundry appliances to decorate his front yard. It is not an “unfunded mandate” as one Public Safety Commissioner once told me when provided with this tool in order to address an uninhabited and unsecured property on Franklin Street. It simply was a means by which to have the owner address the unattractive nuisance or have the city respond by doing the work and charging the property owner. It’s been on the books for over 20 years.
Ironically, this was the same elected official who could not understand why the land in front of Yaddo could not be developed as a city truck inspection station or a homeland security interrogation location in spite of the fact that it was land that was owned by the State of New York that had been posted against parking for 20 years. Another one of this ex-official’s gems, was to suggest amnesty for all the flouters who had surreptitiously converted their properties without permits or approvals, even though he previously held the post of chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals. How’s that for irony? Passing judgement over requests for relief from the strict interpretation of the zoning ordinance and then rewarding those who chose to flout the law, wasn’t a well-thought out idea. Actually, none of them were. I am reminded of these ill-conceived notions, having recognized his name on the list of invitees to the charter change pep rally held recently on Marion Place. It’s like ground hog day … again.
This latest attempt will fail as they always have, with its financials. It has to be sold to the conscience tax payer resident who beyond the pontifications and marketing promotions of its proponents, will have to clearly produce the vetted figures that will pass muster. Working against this effort is our enviable city that is doing very well, and a city council that has managed its herculean task of operating out of the Recreation Center while getting all their work done. This is a far cry from many councils of the past (some of those weary survivors are on that invitee list) who could not get past their petty egos or work across the council for consensus.
Well, we won’t have Watertown to kick around anymore, since their city manager was relieved of her post shortly after promoting Watertown’s affluence. Perhaps we’ll be entertained with Ward leaders this time around, from other communities who will explain how they represent their ward constituents after work hours on their cell phones to address individual resident concerns that will have to be brought up at a later time for discussion, digestion while competing with all those other issues of the other ward leaders for approval. Can’t wait for that presentation.
Sustainability … noble. The soon to be banned, single use supermarket plastic bags which make up only a tiny fraction of the single use plastic wraps from produce wraps, poultry wraps, fish wraps, meat wraps, vegetable wraps, bakery wraps, freezer bags, plastic wrap etc., etc. … and I we are not even talking about all of the other retail merchandise from clothing to fertilizer that utilizes single use bags, is just another misplaced effort to solve a problem that should be addressed from the top down not the other way around. This problem-solving strategy is a plan of action that is flawed because it will not provide a solution to the problem, instead it empowers people only to think that they are finding the cure. It’s a wicked problem. I haven’t seen flying plastic bags stuck in fences and trees since long before the Wiebel Avenue land fill was closed.
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Justin –
Just read this about 5G and your post came to mind: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cities-are-saying-no-to-5g-citing-health-aestheticsand-fcc-bullying-11566619391
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