Mayor looks forward to second year in office

Mayor Ed Glode learned about his hometown from a new standpoint as mayor, and looks forward to another year.

“I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been fun working with everybody and learning a lot of new things, and learning town finances. There’s certain challenges working with state and federal government. It’s entertaining,” Glode laughed.

While he has known the town well through growing up in Saratoga and held governmental positions in the past, Glode said the position of mayor has given him a new perspective on his home. As 2016 begins, Glode said that the budgeting process will have to begin once more, as it has to be completed in June.

“I do believe we’re going to go in and get stuff done in our river,” Glode said, adding that it should happen soon. Glode recalls during his campaign a year and a half ago, the river was really a hot topic and that they missed the chance for it last year.

The Saratoga Master Plan will be completed in the summer. “The starting of that was in place before I got into office,” Glode said. The plan will be a handy tool, Glode says, because the town can justify their expenses, and he urges town residents to complete the second survey, before the Jan. 15 deadline.

The river work should be done quickly once it gets started, Glode says, and they “will do the best they can” this winter to make it through the summer. Glode said this will be year one, and the town will have to see where the river restoration project goes from here.

The river work is focusing on bank restoration, Glode said, explaining that he has spoken with FEMA about removing rocks to stabilize the banks.

“We have an impaired river right now all the way through town, and there’s really nowhere in it where it’s flowing in a straight line,” Glode said. With much of the work to be completed this week, including meeting with property owners, Glode is optimistic that there will be updates at the next Saratoga Town Council meeting on Jan. 19.