As the new Commissioner of Finance, he gets a far more comfortable seat.

Ivins and his fellow newly elected Republican council members, Mayor Scott Johnson and Commissioner of Public Works Anthony “Skip” Scirocco, were inaugurated at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 1. The next day, the trio joined returning Democrats John Franck and Ron Kim, commissioners of accounts and public safety, respectively, at the first City Council meeting of 2008.

The meeting went by quickly, lasting less than an hour. The most notable change was the lack of infighting, a staple of the gatherings for the past two years.

Though the brevity of the meeting may not be a regular occurrence, Ivins believes the level of efficiency and professionalism will be things people can come to expect. He said the chemistry between the Council members is very good.

“We may not agree on everything, but we’ll get to decisions and move on,” Ivins said.

Franck believes people will get a better feel of how the new Council will gel after the second meeting. His sense is that things will run in a much more business-like way than they have the previous two years.

“It’s too early to tell,” Franck said of the group’s chemistry. “Everyone seems to be open.”

Johnson referred to the chemistry as “a welcome change.” He said the meeting is a good sign of what people can expect from the Council.

“There’s civility and a cooperative nature,” Johnson said. “This is what the City both deserves and demands from its officials.”

During the mayor’s agenda, Johnson made two appointments to replace board members whose terms had expired. He appointed Philip Klein to the Saratoga Springs Planning Board and Mary Anne Macica to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The Council also adopted Local Law 1, the second part of a state mandated package instituting frame work for storm water management, adjusted the contracts of four firefighters hired last year, and set a public hearing regarding the expansion of parking limits at the Saratoga Public Library.

Ivins said the $6.5 million indoor recreation center will likely be the first big issue they’ll tackle. He’s optimistic it will be up within the next year.

The recreation center came up at Wednesday’s meeting. In fact, the Council is considering moving the proposed site closer to the center of the city, rather than on Weibel Avenue.

Although Weibel Ave. hasn’t been ruled out, Franck personally believes there are other locations that may offer better accessibility. He said a lot of it will come down to how people in nearby neighborhoods feel about having the recreation center by them.

Between touring the facilities, having an orientation with human resources, attending a number of meetings and just trying to settle in, Ivins has been very busy in his first week on the job. Then again, he said he’s been very busy for the last eight months.

“I have a handle on things. There’s just some idiosyncrasies of the job I need to learn,” Ivins said. “It’s exciting to be able to make decisions and lead the city. I think all the members of the Council are committed to making the city better.”

Johnson has also been very busy since he officially took office. He said he’s been in and out of different meetings every day.

“It’s a good busy,” Johnson said. “It’s what I expected. No surprises.”