Best-laid plans

Two new planning commissioners, Jim Beckmann and Chris Duke, were appointed at the Dec. 15 town council meeting.

When councilpersons were asked about the reasoning for picking two new planning commissioners as opposed to re-appointing the current ones, Greg Cooksey and Chris Shannon, the resounding reasoning was a desire to add some new faces to the commission. They found the applicants well-suited for the positions, as well.

“I think just rubber-stamping, re-appointing someone probably isn’t appropriate,” mayor Ed Glode said, adding that the council wants to see “fresh faces” on the commission.

“We still have … five that will be continuing on, so I think continuity will still be there,” councilperson Will Faust said. “The issues that we’re looking at right now, most of them have not been brewing for a long time. We’ve kind of buttoned up on the fence ordinance and … home occupation. The goal is to kind of do some smaller things right now until we get a little bit more direction from the master plan.”

Later in the meeting, the planning commission’s home occupation ordinance passed on the third and final reading.

Jon Winter, director of public works, brought a program called WYOWARN to the attention of the council at the meeting, which is a water and wastewater cooperative for emergency situations. By joining it, Saratoga would have the option to give and receive needed utility services to neighboring areas if an emergency requires help. However, they would not be required to help. The council decided that before entering into an agreement, the town attorney should look at the contract.

During Winter’s report which includes the master plan steering committee, discussion was raised about comments on the master plan surveys. Councilperson Judy Welton commented that so many of them were about cleaning up the town, and the council discussed that they should look at town-owned properties as a place to start. While Winter reported that a list of properties and what to do with them has not been developed, that list can be arranged for the coming months in order to beautify Saratoga.

The conversation continued when councilperson Richard Raymer reported the Shively Field airport board’s recommendation to either totally renovate or demolish the airport tower, with Welton reading a letter from Kent Smith, who inspected the 70s-era building. Smith found the building to be dangerous, adding that the building must be repaired or demolished. Smith recommended that should the town remodel the building, they should keep in mind that the building is not insulated, windows are single paned, bathrooms are not handicapped accessible and the spiral staircase will not meet current building codes. The airport board had discussed this in mind with a fence remodel, which would beautify the airport from the highway.

Tasha Worthington, audience member, spoke up on this issueas she and her husband are hangar owners. According to Worthington, while the tower is too far gone, the Shively Field Airport is behind its contemporaries, in that it lacks amenities for pilots that airports of similar size have.

The dangerous tower was to serve as a terminal building for pilots at one point, and while Worthington argues that such a building is not appropriate, there should be an area for pilots to feel comfortable. Raymer said that he will bring this need to the attention of the airport board because he does not currently know of plans to build such an area. Worthington insisted that there were no business hours or any available phone number for service posted, which she claims has led to numerous complaints.

No motion on what to do with the building was made to give time for public comment.

The next regularly scheduled Saratoga Town Council meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 5 at the Saratoga Town Hall.