(Credit: Steve Thurston, 2023)
The DPW crew on Jan. 1 had the water turned off and were waiting for the OK to dig. They had to be sure not to hit a natural gas line, officials said.
Golub thanks DPW workers for water main effort
Commissioner of Public Works Jason Golub took a few moments at the end of his portion of the city council meeting Jan. 3 to acknowledge the accomplishments of DPW staff. Over the holiday weekend, the found and fixed a water main break that cut water to the city.
The break occurred in the early morning of Jan. 1 and water was back on for all residents by late afternoon. The work on the pipes and on Excelsior Avenue itself, which had extensive damage, continued. The state Department of Health cleared the water for drinking Tuesday morning.
“The last thing I would just like to add is to give a shout out to all the DPW crews who worked diligently around the clock over the past 72 hours,” Golub said as the city board clapped in response. “Myself and the entire city are thankful.”
Fireworks from garage roof July 4, possibly
Nothing is official in this, but the city’s Fourth of July fireworks display may launch from the roof of the City Center parking garage downtown later this year, just as it did during last weekend’s New Year’s Fest. The response to the fireworks over the weekend has been overwhelmingly positive, organizers including Bob Millis and Commissioner of Accounts Dillon Moran have said.
The extra height the fireworks get from the roof means people from much further away could see them, Moran said during the city council meeting Jan. 3.
“I think anybody who experienced those fireworks coming off the deck saw something that we haven’t seen in this town, certainly in my lifetime,” Moran said. “I heard from people across the town who could see it. I heard from people in the Wesley Community who could see it from the towers.”
He said Wesley towers on Lawrence Street on the west side of town is already planning viewing parties. He thanked everyone involved in the fireworks display during the festival including the Department of Accounts, Public Works and the City Center Authority.
Ryan Biggs wins contract to survey parking decks
Ryan Biggs Clark Davis Engineering and Surveying of Clifton Park has won a $44,000 contract with the City of Saratoga Springs to provide “parking deck condition assessments” for the Walton and Woodlawn parking garages in the city. An assessment such as this is required under state law, said Commissioner of Public Works Jason Golub.
“It’s extremely important to stay up to date on the maintenance of any parking structure, if the maintenance is ignored the issues can grow exponentially,” Golub said, adding that the report will offer guidance for future work.