Library Board of Trustees Meeting Agenda

Prepaid Checks #74654 - 74659

Warrant Checks #74660 - 74747

Budget Expense Report

Income Report

Data and Relevant Calculations

Notes

Disbursements as of May 20, 2026: $578,573.93

Bank Balances:

• Money Market: $5,220,216.70
• Checking: $86,465.24
• Total: $4,728108.01

Transaction Notes: (ACH: Automatic Clearing House)

• 4/2: SSCSD - ACH - $453,621.50 - Tax
• 4/8: Adirondack Trust - Check # 055722 - $0.62 - CD Interest
• 4/15: NYS Comptroller - Check # 33304006 - $37.42 - Overpayment of tax liability
• 4/20: State of New York - Check # 10962542 - $417,757.00 - Construction grant
• 4/21: SALS - Check # 15657 - $3,636.36 - Grant for OATS program with Carrie Woerner
• 4/21: Utica National Insurance Group - Check # 2568774 - $4,567.65 - Claim reimbursement
• 4/27: Utica National Insurance Group - Check # 0000193751 - $615.16 - Dividend payment
• 4/27: Utica National Insurance Group - Check # 0000193558 - $5,140.35 - Dividend payment

Director’s Written Report

Building Improvements

On April 20, we received the initial disbursement of $417,757 in State construction grant funds toward the installation of the new elevator.

FY2024-2025 Audit

Representatives from MMB+O will attend the June 8, 2026 Board of Trustees meeting to present the results of the FY24-25 audit.

Memorial Gifts

The small reception to unveil the plaque commemorating the memorial gift in honor of Judith Schmelter, originally scheduled for May 9, has been postponed to a date to be determined, in August.

A reception to honor a gift in memory of Shawn Nolan will be held at 10:00AM on Saturday, May 19. A plaque commemorating the gift will be hung in the Children’s Room. More the $40,000 has been donated to the Friends, and will be passed on to the library, in memory of Mr. Nolan.

2026 Budget Vote and Trustee Election:

On April 23, Saratoga Springs City School District residents approved a tax levy of $5,552,327 to operate the Saratoga Springs Public Library in FY 2026-27 by a vote of 257 yes to 10 no. Carol was re-elected to the Library’s Board of Trustees, receiving 241 votes; and Nurcan Atalan-Helicke was elected to a first term with 227 votes.

SALS Annual Meeting

The Southern Adirondack Library System’s Annual Meeting will be held on Monday, May 18, at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls, and will feature the Saratoga Springs Poet Laureate, Jay Rogoff.

Complete Streets

Recent notice that Henry Street was scheduled for paving revived interest in a study completed several years ago, as part of the Complete Streets Initiative, of the feasibility of adding a bike lane and turning it into a one-way street in order to connect bike paths through the city. Included in this month’s packet is correspondence regarding the study and the potential desirability of reviving the plan, and requesting a statement of support from the library. Much has changed since the initial study was conducted, including the addition on seasonal on-street dining and changes to library parking lot regulations. While such a plan might fit into the library’s desire for traffic calming and align with our sustainability goals, we might wish to have a clearer idea of the implication of a newer iteration of the plan.

Spring Staff Development Day

Our annual Spring Half Day Development Day is scheduled for 9am-Noon on Friday, May 15. Along with the usual focus on workplace violence prevention and sexual harassment prevention, this year’s event will feature a presentation from Dr. Lauren Lestremau Allen from SUNY Empire CAARES (Center for Autism Advocacy Research Education and Supports).

Pride Stories Collaborative

The Saratoga Room has been invited by the Saratoga Preservation Foundation to participate in the Pride Stories Collaborative a community-driven initiative dedicated to uncovering, preserving, and sharing the LGBTQ+ stories and of Saratoga Springs and surrounding communities. The Collaborative fosters intergenerational dialogue, community storytelling, and public engagement to make visible the lives, spaces, and experiences that have shaped the region’s LGBTQ+ past. The collaborative’s first event will be on Thursday, June 18 at the Spring Street Gallery at 6:30 p.m. The program will be sponsored by Saratoga Pride, Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, Skidmore College, and Empire State University, and will be inviting members of the community to come share their knowledge of the history of the LGBTQ+ community.

Assistant Director’s Report to the Board

New York State (NYS) Annual Report

The NYS Annual Report was reviewed by the Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) and sent to the Division of Library Development for review.

Space Usage Study

We conducted our 3rd month of data collection.

Sustainability: Earth Month Print Challenge Update

Currently staff print around 13,000 pages each month and that is without copies and personal printers. We were trying to see if we can reduce staff printing by 1,000 in the month of April.

In April, even though we had to print close to 4,000 pages for the budget vote, we came in at 11,099 pages for the month!

For those who want to know our environmental impact worth of printing: We have used 90% of 1 tree, produced 94.4 KG of CO2 (which is equivalent to 240 miles of an avg gas-powered car) and keeping 1 lightbulb on for 5,914 hours.

Continuing Education

Lisa Peet, Executive Editor for Library Journal attended the workshop that I presented with my colleagues, Lisa Kropp, Hazel Onsrud and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich in Minneapolis. She wrote an article that summed up our message.

I was asked to participate in a short interview with Jeannie Dilger, CEO of Arranging Time. She is currently doing some work for Rob Cullin and Janet Nelson at ReThinking Libraries, the company that helped us with our Strategic Plan in 2020. They regularly reach out to past clients to hear more about interesting projects and initiatives; then use these stories as blog posts on their website and LinkedIn. Janet was also present at the workshop in Minneapolis and is particularly interested in our sustainability projects, repair cafe, and Read to Recovery. I had to reschedule the first date due to the staff internet being down
on Wednesday April 29.

On May 5th I headed to Cambridge, MD to present to the Maryland/Delaware Library Association with Lisa Kropp. I will be meeting Lisa at the Cranbury Public Library (NJ) who are working through their sustainable Library Certification. They are housing my car so I can hop in a Prius (and save emissions) and I will get a tour of their current construction project – an expansion of their children’s room. On my way home, I will be stopping at the Maplewood NJ Public Library to check out their brand-new LEED certified building. They are moments away from being Certified by the Sustainable Libraries Initiative.

Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Ferriss

IT Group Update

Door Counts – 25,235

Print Challenge

Result - 11099 prints, including the almost 4000 pages of our poll books we chose to print in house for cost savings. The count will be slightly different with our new tracking tool but even factoring in that, staff rose to the challenge, and we were able to reduce the number of pages printed in March.

Board Report

Working on a revamp of the board report, proof of concept has been complete. We reviewed different options for a product or process with which we could bring it into compliance. We found no product that would produce the documents in a format that would simply adhere to the regulations. We had looked at a couple of different board management systems and while they have some utility neither would output the documents for the public properly.

We fell back on Brendon again, to fold it into our public website system, that because of its update a couple of years ago, now has the ability to ingest our reports and format the output closer to compliant than a PDF could be. It will rely on us to input the reports and agenda in a format the web form can work with, so it makes take a few months to get the output correct. We think we may shoot for next month’s reports as our first go; contingent on a little bit of training on how to enter our data and barring anything stealing time away from its progress.

Wireless Printing

We have had mobile or wireless printing for patrons for a while. With the introduction of our new print management software we now have the ability to securely print while we are working off of our staff network.

The non-stop Librarians routinely work from their laptops while its slow at the service desks, working on grants, or programs when it may be too cumbersome having three different email accounts open sorting through the various OneDrive tabs at one service desk computer; being able to dedicate the laptop to one duty has been helpful.

If they require printing in that case the cloud connector for PaperCut is non-evasive, encrypted path for us to get our prints through the various networks to our printers in the building. Its currently in the testing phase but I believe this will be a great benefit to staff.

Cookies

Sorry not the good kind. We linked to our new Public Access Catalog on the 24th to conform to the Title II regulations, that’s in addition to the website updates we’ve been working on. SALS/JA rolled out the new site officially, and it was a nightmare. That’s a touch dramatic… it was fine with a few changes people didn’t like but will get used to and one notable hard to see cookie popup that disabled the screen unless you dismissed or interacted with it.

The next day we bypassed it, the a few days later JA / Clarivate corrected it which alleviated many of the calls we were receiving. Overall, it’s a nice modern PAC that brings us up to code.

Respectfully,
Don and Brendon

Access and Outreach Services

Circulation and Technical Services

Circulation for April 2026:

• Total circulation (physical items and Libby eBooks & eAudiobooks): 33,170.
• Total physical item circulation: 27,808.
• Total eBook circulation (Libby, Hoopla, Comics Plus): 3,351.
• Total eAudiobook circulation (Libby, Hoopla): 4,155.
• Streaming video downloads (Kanopy, Hoopla): 477.
• Streaming music downloads (Hoopla): 42.
• Digital magazine circulation (Libby): 2,862.

In April 2026, Circulation and Technical Services:

• Processed 192 library card applications.
• Issued 177 parking permits.
• Received and processed 2,410 items from other libraries to fill holds.
• Pulled and transferred 1,955 items to fill holds at other libraries.
• Filled 3,944 total holds.
• Processed 777 withdrawn items.
• Received, processed, and added 1,522 physical items to library collections.

Outreach Services

Senior Services, Persons-at-Home (Sarah Derven)

During April 2026, Sarah:

• Visited 13 Outreach Sites.
• Lead 7 Memory Care Writing Groups.
• Presented at a Memory Cafe at the Senior Center.
• Visited and Delivered Materials to 13 Individuals.
• Served 264 Patrons.
• Loaned 734 items.
• Made 84 Phone Calls.
• Placed 262 items on Hold.
• Renewed 222 Items.

This month, Sarah gave a presentation at the Saratoga Senior Center’s monthly Memory Café on her creative writing program for individuals with memory care needs, highlighting its benefits in fostering connection, self-expression, and cognitive engagement.

Community Events, Partnerships, Mobile Library (Jennifer Ogrodowski)

Programs/Outreach:

• Big Truck Day with the Children’s Museum
  Tabling at this annual event was a great success with hundreds of families coming out to enjoy it. Bonus…no rain this year!
• Shelters Book Group
  Our book group at the Shelters of Saratoga is still going strong. Last month, we finished discussing Open Throat. This month, we are working through Cat’s Cradle.

Statistics:

• Attendance: 219
• Items Loaned: 30
• Cards Issued & Renewed: 11
• Returns: 34
• Ref Questions: 10

What We’re Looking Forward to Next Month:

• Wilton Wildlife Festival

Adult Literacy, English Language Learning (Mary Ann Rockwell)

English Language Learning

One-to-One Tutoring

• 12 volunteer tutors
• 31 tutoring sessions
• 66 volunteer hours

Classes

• 4 volunteers teaching classes (plus this librarian in 2 classes)
• 24 Class Sessions – (6 weekly classes)
• 125 class attendance
• 50 Volunteer Hours

Total Volunteer Hours: 116

An increase in applications from prospective literacy volunteers has been observed, likely reflecting a desire to take constructive action in response to current events. At present, the program has more volunteer interest than it can accommodate. Conversely, there has been a decline in new learners, particularly from Central America. Plans are in place for:

• A twice-weekly English for Absolute Beginners course during May
• An 8-week reading group on Charlotte’s Web, also beginning in May

Both programs will be led by new tutors with prior ESL experience.

Poetry Programs

Workshops

Jay Rogoff, Saratoga Poet Laureate, conducted a series of four poetry workshops at the library in April. All sessions were at full capacity, with a total attendance of 60 participants. He plans to offer this series again in October.

Favorite Poem Reading

• 20 participants read selected poems.
• 35 total attendees.

Poetry Café (Online Discussion Group)

• 4 participants (including facilitator).
• Featured poems from Ada Limón’s anthology You Are Here, focusing on themes of nature as an immediate and present experience.

Erasure Poem Take-and-Make

• 35 kits distributed.
• 3 participants submitted a total of 6 completed poems for display.
• All participants who submitted work received a prize through a raffle.

Respectfully submitted by:
Trevor Oakley, Head of Access and Outreach Services

Youth Services Department

Programming and Outreach

• Teen programs: 10
• Teen attendance: 73
• Teen room attendance: 288
• Teen Volunteer hours: 60
• Children’s programs: 73
• Children’s Attendance: 2023

April break was wet and chilly for most of the week so library programs were a hit! Laura brought in Anita Sanchez to talk about bird songs, Kristine had two Spider Heroes come, and Catherine hosted the Story Ship for their Rainbow Thief program. Additionally, Alex had a Mario gaming jamboree, Kate had a story play, craft and family STEM challenge. Laura also visited Wilton Wildlife and the Spa Park for the annual trout release. Instead of a scavenger hunt, Kristine had a month-long poetry program. 21 children recited a poem at the desk to earn a Stewart’s ice cream coupon.

Spring has brought lots of babies back to story time. While the spring season is ending in early May, Laura will be adding some more baby sessions to make sure these families have something fun to do while the other librarians focus on school visits.

Kate finished out the season of Music and Movement - she shared this lovely story:

For adults, Laura brought back storyteller Jeanne Laverty for a 4-week session. Jeanne said this was one of her best groups ever and the participants were dedicated and had a great time.

Kate and Kristine visited 4th and 5th graders at Caroline St to book talk some new titles and help promote books found in the school library as well.

Laura and Kate each welcomed a class from the Skidmore Early Childhood center. The children and parents enjoyed a story time about community helpers and an activity before heading off to the firehouse.

Kate and Laura tabled and offered an activity at the Autism Expo once again this year. They found that keeping kids engaged with their activities created a positive opportunity to engage with parents about library services and programming.

AnnaRae partnered with Poet Laureate Jay Rogoff to offer a poetry workshop for teens. As expected, the turn out for something so academic afterschool was small, but the teen who has been attending regularly is really learning a lot so it was worth it.

AnnaRae continues to offer a variety of programs for her teens- this month she said they were especially excited for their dip tasting and the leftovers continued to feed the teens for at least a few more days. She has been trying to focus on being sustainable by using up leftover supply materials as well as looking for projects with results that the teens will actually use and value. While younger children tend to benefit from the experience of the craft, teens and adults often see value from the result.

Updates and Projects

There was a great article mentioning the library and our work on inclusivity in the Post Star this month. The internet outage created a gap for YS staff to work on some summer reading prep. They inventoried the prize books, ensured things were labeled correctly and sorted through the treasure chest prizes. Additionally, summer reading visit requests are coming in an YS staff are getting ready to go out to the schools and promote!

Collections and Displays

Librarians are weeding and preparing for summer reading. They’ve also been making some progress on the project to get non-fiction titles grouped more consistently. Its a complicated project and should be helpful in the long run; in the short-term its a bit aggravating.

Youth Service librarians met with a Follett representative to look at Titlewave. It promises to have a much easier platform for finding youth books to order.

Teen displays included “Cottagecore Vibes,” “It’s Like Supernatural” and the Teen advisory board display “American Stories.”

Children’s displays included Trucks, Easter/Passover, Poetry, Autism Awareness Month, Sun and Sand, Historical Fiction, and Author Spotlights on David Shannon, Karma Wlson, Tom Fletcher and Lindsay Ward.

Bulletin Boards are readalikes for Star Wars fans and promotional materials for e-content for kids.

Continuing Education

• Kate attended the ALA webinar Marketing Sensory Storytimes to Ensure Autism Inclusion.
• Kate continues on with the NYLA CE (New York Library Association Continuing Education) committee and working on conference sessions for next fall.

What We’re Reading

• Alex is reading Busted by Dan Gemeinhart.
• Kate is reading When You’re Brave Enough by Rebecca Bendheim.
• Kristine is reading Refugee by Alan Gratz.
• Laura is reading Busted, by Dan Gemeinhart.

Respectfully submitted by Catherine Brenner, Head of Youth Services

Adult Services Department

Service Statistics

Electronic periodical statistical data was not available at the time this report was due.

Our 154 LibGuides were accessed a total of 4,345 times. This is the highest view count of this fiscal year!

Offered Programs

Interesting Additions

• During the first week of April we received two verbal patron compliments about having free menstrual products in our public bathrooms. One woman even said that she didn’t the library could be more awesome than it already is, and we exceeded her expectations with addition of period products.
• On Thursday, April 2 and Friday, April 3, Katie moderated morning sessions for the virtual PLA (Public Library Association) Conference. Moderating consists of attending a prep session with PLA, welcoming attendees into the virtual room, placing resources and speaker links in the chat, and reading questions to the speakers. She also got to help coordinate a live poll, and in between sessions, she got to chat with librarians and archivists via e-mail and/or the Zoom Room, offering a chance to network and idea-swap with librarians from across the country.
• Three new Danielle Steel books have been purchased with a memorial donation made by the family of Elizabeth “Bette” Mullan. All three books received bookplates in her honor, and all three titles are now circulating. An acknowledgement letter was sent on April 23. We thank Elizabeth’s family for this generous donation and offer our deepest sympathies.
• On April 12, Katie and 2 expert librarians from the Youth Services department tabled for the library at the Autism Expo and Fair at the Saratoga City Center. Katie talked to several adults and families about the adult programming that we offer.
• On April 19, Katie went to Manhattan and attended the second day of BookCon at the Jacob Javits Center. She attended two panels with the first being about audiobook adaptations for Audible Originals and the second being about page-to-screen adaptations of popular books, including Project Hail Mary. Her big takeaway from this event is the long lines that she saw for physical advanced reader copies of upcoming books. “Any publisher that was offering physical advanced readers had a huge line, and it didn’t matter what time of day it was. I even heard one parent’s excitement over the fact that she got a whole bunch of advanced reader copies for her kids to enjoy. “They’ll have something new to read!” she said. Despite the rise in digital materials, it is clear that people still want physical items.”
• Denise Parmon, has resigned from her greeting position for the time being. We want to thank her for all of her hard work. She has shown so much kindness to our patrons during her time with us, and she has helped answer so many questions. We will miss her positive attitude and hope to see her in the library again in the near future.
• We have given out between 2500-3000 seed packets in the first 2 months of the relaunched seed library!

What We’re Reading

• Caitlin:
  • This Princess Kills Monsters
    This quirky fairy tale world retelling/mashup is told by a semi-sarcastic main character with a chip on her shoulder. It features a cast of casually magical and often nonsensical characters, most of whom are not what they seem, and a plot full of fairy tale tropes in unexpected places.
• Jamie
  • My Husband’s Wife
    A seemingly perfect marriage unravels when secrets, obsession, and a dangerously blurred line between love and control collide. As past and present twist together, one woman’s pursuit of the truth reveals just how far someone will go to rewrite their own story.
• Katie
  • Keep it in the Family
    A very twisty thriller about deadly deeds that shape a family legacy in ways that you never see coming. Jaw-dropping until the last page.
• Kali
  • Special Topics in Calamity Physics
    A hanging. A drowning. A coming-of age story about a young darkly humorous girl who has spent most of life roaming the country with her academic widower father. Finally settled in a boarding school, Blue van Meer is determined to use her expansive knowledge of all things literary and scientific to solve the mysterious deaths that occurred in her new place of residence.
• Rebecca
  • We Burned So Bright
    This book is about a couple on an RV trip across the country while the world is ending (going to be swallowed by a black hole). I found this story super depressing… are you okay TJ Klune??

Respectfully submitted by Jamie Chabot, Head of Adult Services

Operations Department

This is a very busy time working with our contractors for new seasonal contracts. Detailing requirements and changes while working to minimize our cost exposures for the new fiscal year. As you all are aware, it is a very challenging process as costs are sky-rocketing in all parts of the equation. All of this effort includes trying to maintain the extremely high service need requirements for the facilities, staff and patrons.

Work has been completed the 2 major HVAC units from the July 2025 electrical outage claim. The addition parts and labor invoice will be submitted to the insurance company for $4,662.65. The units have been running for approximately 7+ weeks with no other problems. Utica National has assured me that a check for the additional work is in process.

The operating controls issues for full auto programming on the Cooling Tower, HVAC and Boilers have been resolved by Stark Tech. These issues were related to a firmware update for our new digital building maintenance system interface [installed last fall]. The Cooling Tower is now back in full-service operation mode [Water and air]. We also have passed the current NYS required testing and operation certifications for Bacteriological and Legionella treatments.

In-between work events, we are also transitioning winter equipment and performing maintenance on the incoming spring/ summer equipment. Time to start cleaning and repairing concrete, painting safety lines, sprucing up flower beds while enjoying some much-needed sunshine and warmth!

Overall, we continue to strive and provide the best customer experience possible here at the library. Teamwork and good communication are the essential keys for providing this positive work environment.

Respectfully Submitted,
Richard “Ric” Taras, Operations Supervisor

Human Resources Summary

Staffing

• Resignation
  
  • Michael Trinchillo, Building Monitor, Operations (part-time), effective May 6, 2026.
• Request to Appoint
  • Christian Fuller, Cleaner, Operations (part-time), $18.51/hr, effective April 30, 2026.
  • Kolby Tricell, Building Maintenance Worker, Operations (part-time), $23.75/hr, effective May 11, 2026.
• Hiring
  • Cleaner, Operations (part-time) – currently collection applications.
  • Building Monitor, Operations (part-time) – currently collection applications.

Department Update

The ongoing EAP (Employee Assistance Program) email campaign has been going well. Over the last few weeks, staff have reached out with questions after each email looking for additional information or assistance logging in so they can access and utilize the services highlighted that week. Year-to-date EAP utilization also continues to be higher than it was at this time last year.

I am also currently working with Marshall+Sterling to get the upcoming open enrollment process underway. I expect to have open enrollment dates finalized within the next week. Renewal pricing has been received for both dental and vision coverage. Vision rates will remain the same, while dental premiums will increase by 10%. Additional information will be shared with staff once dates are finalized.

Work has also begun on the annual Governmental Accounting Standards Board “GASB 75” project, including gathering the required employee and retiree information for reporting purposes. The target date for completion from our CPA (Certified Public Accountant) is October 23.

Annual sexual harassment prevention training will be pushed back slightly to July to accommodate the Youth Services Department’s busy schedule with school visits over the next few weeks. It will be completed through our EAP provider, as it has been for the last several years, to remain in compliance with New York State requirements. Training dates will be announced during Spring Staff Day on May 15th.

Additionally, I am also working with Adirondack Health and Wellness to schedule this Fall’s flu/COVID vaccine clinic for staff. I expect to have a finalized clinic date within the next week or so.

Respectfully submitted by:
Kelly McCombs, Human Resources Manager

Henry Street Paving

Letter to Saratoga Springs Council

Dear City of Saratoga Springs Council,

As the owner of Henry Street Taproom, I am writing to express my full support for the Planning Department’s proposal to add a two-way bicycle lane to Henry Street, between Lake Avenue and Congress Park, as part of the City’s Complete Streets Plan. The roadway would be transformed into a oneway street northbound on Henry leading to greater safety, functionality for a better visitor experience.

The change would be a permanent version of the 2019 pilot project, led by Barton & Loguidice, which improved mobility and accessibility along Henry Street. This work was recently corroborated by the 2025
Safe Streets for All/Vision Zero study by Stantec and the Capital Region Transportation Council.

Initiatives to increase the number of local transportation options, including creating bike lanes, have proven to be good for business in the United States and across the world. Bicycle infrastructure built in retail corridors improves foot traffic to businesses. A new bike lane on Henry Street would, at the very least, allow businesses to continue thriving as they are, and it would likely increase their success as customers would have more ways to get to our storefronts.

The Complete Streets Plan is aligned with the interests of businesses in Saratoga Springs. I look forward to discussing this initiative with neighboring businesses on Henry Street, and I am confident they will be on board too. Hopefully we can implement this new bike lane in the near future. Pictured on the second page is Stantec’s render of a complete Henry Street.

Sincerely,
Ryan McFadden

Vision of an Updated Henry Street

Site:

Henry Street is a minor two-way street with retail and restaurants, which have on-street patios during the summer months.

A pilot project implemented a two-way bikeway as link to Congress Park in 2019.

Recommendations:

Implement two-way protected bike lane on west side of street, continuing to Congress Park.

On east side of street, retain restaurant patio seating in summer with parking in winter.

Public Comment - Henry Street Paving Schedule and Bike Lane Inclusion Submitted by Bikeatoga

Good evening Mayor and Members of the City Council,

My name is Tina Carton, and I am speaking as the Advocacy Co-Chair on behalf of Bikeatoga, as well as many Saratoga Springs residents who walk, bike, drive, and do business along Henry Street every day.

Bikeatoga is concerned about the recently announced Henry Street paving schedule, and specifically about the absence of bike lanes in the current plan.

Henry Street is not just another roadway. It is a critical north–south connection for residents, commuters, students, and visitors, and it has long been identified by the City as an appropriate and important corridor for safe bicycle infrastructure.

Bike lanes on Henry Street are not a new idea, and they are not speculative. They are firmly grounded in multiple city-adopted plans and policies, including:

• The Saratoga Greenbelt Trail Plan, which was approved by this City Council and clearly supports bike accommodations on Henry Street as part of a connected, citywide network.
• The Henry Street bike lane pilot, which was funded in part by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) and demonstrated that bike lanes can function on this corridor while supporting local access and safety.
• The City’s Vision Zero plan, which emphasizes proven, low-cost design changes—like dedicated bike lanes—to reduce crashes and serious injuries.
• The recommendations of the City’s Complete Streets Committee, which exists specifically to ensure that street projects safely serve all users, not just vehicles.

Given this strong policy alignment, re-paving Henry Street without bike lanes represents a missed opportunity—one that is difficult to justify when the City has already done the planning, the testing, and the public vetting.

Paving projects are exactly the moment when safety improvements should be implemented. Once asphalt is down, the window for affordable change closes for years, if not decades. Striping bike lanes during resurfacing is one of the most cost-effective safety upgrades available, and delaying them only increases long-term costs and community frustration.

Bikeatoga recognizes that street design involves tradeoffs, and we appreciate the work staff does to maintain our infrastructure. But we urge the City Council to ensure that Henry Street’s paving project reflects the City’s own stated goals—for safety, accessibility, climate responsibility, and mobility choice.

Tonight, we respectfully ask the Council to:

1. Revisit the current Henry Street paving plan.
2. Direct staff to incorporate bike lanes consistent with adopted city plans.
3. Reaffirm that Saratoga Springs follows through on its Vision Zero and Complete Streets commitments—not just in principle, but on the pavement itself.

Henry Street can and should be a safer street for everyone. Bikeatoga stands ready to work with City staff and elected leadership to help make that happen. Thank you for your time and for your service to Saratoga Springs.

Letter from John Whalen

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the bonus that was given me and to let you know that it went to what I feel is a very worthy cause, Thank you.