Saratoga Springs City Council sets public hearings to address downtown violence, earlier bar closing times

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Saratoga Springs City Council will hold two public hearings on Dec. 6 – one on whether to shift the bar-closing time from 4 a.m. to 2 a.m. and a second one on a proposal to allow for the revocation of permits for businesses with certain violations.

The Council set the date for the hearings during a meeting Monday night. The Council also voted to send a letter to the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors to request the prohibition of alcohol sales at bars and restaurants after 2 a.m. Any changes to last call would require the support of the county board before being forwarded for final state approval.

Both measures have emerged in the aftermath of a Nov. 20 shooting incident on Broadway during which city police officers fired their guns multiple times to subdue an armed man. The off-duty Vermont police officer, later identified as Vito Caselnova, was shot multiple times after failing to drop his gun when asked several times, according to authorities. Police have said that Caselnova and a man from Utica were shooting at each other. The Utica man was injured and taken to the hospital along with Caselnova. Both are expected to recover.

In the wake of the shooting incident, City Council leaders have renewed efforts to shift last call two hours earlier, a proposal that’s failed in previous attempts over the years. The latest proposal was brought forward by Mayor Ron Kim.

“I think this is a step that we need to take,” said Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran. “I think that we need to be prepared to do more.”

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Public Safety Commissioner James Montagnino said that the final version of the resolution to revoke business permits for certain violations is still being worked on.

However, according to a draft resolution, the violations for which a permit could be revoked include: 

• If someone leaves an establishment after 2 a.m. and then, within an hour of leaving the business, commits a criminal offense.
• If someone commits a criminal offense after 2 a.m. when the establishment is open for business.
• If an individual is injured after 2 a.m. on the premise of an establishment while it was open for business.
• If an individual has a “deadly weapon or dangerous instrument”  after 2 a.m. on the premise of an establishment while it was open. This portion would exclude law enforcement officers who are on duty.

No residents or bar and restaurant owners spoke at the meeting as part of the public comment period.

Tint & Lint owner Jim Stanley said prior to the meeting that he supported shutting down earlier during the fall and winter months, but definitely not in the summer or during track season.

“That won’t bother me this time of year,” he said. 

But he’s not for the city’s past suggestion of a security perimeter around the Caroline Street area.  He said bars should be looking at their own security measures. 

Mike Sirianni, the owner of 9 Maple Ave., said he’s against the city’s proposals.

“I don’t like anybody telling me what to do with my business,” he said. 

He said that right now he usually closes around 2:30 a.m. anyway.

“We’re not alone there,” he said. “I think most people do that.” 

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As for the past suggestion of a security perimeter, Sirianni said, he’s not even sure how the city would be able to enforce something like that. 

“This happens every time something like this happens – everyone gets these questions,” he said.

Local bartender Derek Lott said right now people start slowly filing out of bars between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. If bars are forced to close at 2 a.m. he said, that will only push everyone into the streets all at once – adding to double or even triple the amount of people outside in the street at one time. 

“It’s going to cause more problems,” he said. 

He also said if the city has bars close at 2 a.m., then people will just start going out earlier. 

“This is Saratoga, people have been coming here for 200 years for two things – to drink and to gamble,” he said. 

He also said he feels many of the issues that have taken place have involved people who are from out of town – not Saratogians. But ultimately it’s not the bar’s fault for what happened Nov. 20, he said. 

“The responsibility of all of this lies on the individual,” he said.

The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors will review the request from the city, said Christine Rush, the director of public information for the county. 

“The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors will review the City’s request, as they do with any requests from our towns and cities,” she said in an emailed response Monday. “However, last year, following a similar request from Saratoga Springs City Council, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution requesting the State change the Alcohol and Beverage Control laws to allow for local municipalities to request changes to the hours of retail sales of alcohol within their jurisdiction without requiring county-wide action. This presents the fairest option for cities and towns throughout the County.”    

Council passes budget

In other business at Monday’s meeting, the City Council unanimously approved its 2023 budget. The $57.0 million budget is an almost 5.19% increase from 2022. 

Spending is budgeted to tick up in 2023 in part due to increases in personnel, benefits and the continued high costs of gas and oil. 

City officials previously stated that taxes would increase because of the city building its third fire station. 

The inside tax rate will be $6.62 per $1,000 of assessed value and the outside tax rate will be $6.55 per $1,000 of assessed value. Part of the budget increase was due to an increase in personnel costs including the re-addition of six police officer positions.

Montagnino commended Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi for adding back the positions, noting the events of Nov. 20 underscored the need for them. 

Correction 11/30 10:39 a.m.: An earlier version of this article had an incorrect amount for the 2023 budget, as well as an incorrect percentage increase over 2022.

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