The reason stems from an initiative by the city council to be more environmentally-friendly through a new system that will allow them to avoid the immense amount of paper associated with the job by converting all the files into an electronic format. The new technology has been made possible through a $56,000 grant awarded to the city by the New York State Archives and Records Administration. Through the grant, the Accounts Department established a system called Novus AGENDA, which will allow for paperwork and documents to stream through a range of local government departments by means of a digital work flow.

During the meeting, Commissioner of Accounts John Franck gave a brief presentation related to the new technology. Franck said the City Council meeting was just the first step in implementing the new system and that eventually it would be practiced throughout City Hall.

During Franck’s presentation, he said the new system would allow people to upload the city council’s agenda earlier than in the past, via the city’s Web site including the ability to access attachments linked to a particular agenda item.

Over the course of the next two months, Commissioner Franck and Deputy Commissioner Michele Boxley plan to have the system fully functional throughout the government’s staff and the city’s three land-use boards.

In the past, each member of the council, their secretaries, the city attorney and various governmental staff members received a paper copy of each item on the council’s agenda, resulting in 16 copies for every document printed. According to Franck, the new system would save around 475 cubic feet of paper per year.

“This will save a lot of trees and tax payer money from all the copies that needed to be made in the past,” Franck said.

Franck also added that in the future his department will seek out new ways to improve the city’s record system.

Notable issues discussed:

• Another hot topic on the evening’s agenda included a resolution that would add Fish Creek and Saratoga Lake to the New York State Open Space Plan.

• Julie Stokes, chairwoman of Saratoga P.L.A.N, presented plans that would add the two locations to the open space plan. According to Stokes, the state plan for open space is amended about every five years. Once the plan has been amended various organizations have the opportunity to add areas to the open space preservation list.

• City Council members have until their next meeting to pass the resolution, which would also allow the city to apply for grants for the purchase of open space by the city in and around the specific areas.

• City Council members in a 4-1 vote approved a payroll transfer, which will allow for an executive assistant to Commissioner of Public Safety Ron Kim.

• Kim told the council that funds for the position were transferred from a previous clerical position. He said the new position would save tax payers $3,000 dollars because the newly created position pays less than the clerical position previously employed by the department. Mayor Johnson cast the only vote against the budget transfer for the new position.

• During the Public Safety Agenda, Kim announced that plans for a new Public Safety building would be presented before the City Council at their June 3 meeting.

• During the Public Works Agenda, Commissioner Skip Scirocco announced plans for the Congress Park Carousel to open on Sunday, May 11.