Prevention Council

Providing Substance Abuse Education, Information and Referral Services

  • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Careers
    • Accomplishments
    • In the News
  • Programs
    • Prevention Education
    • Healing Springs Recovery Center
    • Family Support Navigator
    • Community Outreach
    • Counseling Services
    • STOP DWI
      • Victim Impact Panels
    • CCFW
    • RAIS Saratoga
    • Camp Programs
      • Cool Out of School (COOS)
      • All Stars Camp
  • Resources
    • Addiction and Recovery
    • Alcohol
    • Bullying
    • Distracted Driving
    • Driving Under the Influence
    • Drugged Driving
    • Gambling
    • OASAS Providers Directory
    • Nar-Anon Support Groups
    • Parenting
    • Substance Abuse
    • Suicide and Mental Health
    • Vaping/Tobacco
    • Underage Drinking
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • TUFF eNUFF
  • Donate
  • Contact
HomeNewsCounty leaders reject proposal to close bars earlier

County leaders reject proposal to close bars earlier

Posted on 07.02.12 by pcadmin

July 2, 2012
By Michael Cignoli
The Saratogian

The city of Saratoga Springs’ request to change last call to 3 a.m. was dealt a crushing blow Monday afternoon when a key county committee declined to support the initiative.

The City Council voted in June to send a resolution to the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors urging the board to ask the New York State Liquor Authority to roll back last call throughout the county from 4 a.m. to 3 a.m. as a way to improve public safety and reduce police costs.

The state Liquor Authority, which would have had the final say on the issue, has previously said the county Board of Supervisors is the only legislative body that can formally request to change last call.

On Monday, the county’s Legislative and Research Committee voted 5 to 1 against advancing the proposal to another county committee and then to the full board, effectively killing the initiative.

A supervisor could still technically make a motion to bring the issue before the full Board of Supervisors later this month, but the chances of such a motion being approved are slim.

The county’s tiered committee process is designed to vet out ill-fated resolutions or requests.

“If it has merit, they move it forward,” Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matthew Veitch said. “If they don’t believe it has merit, they don’t move it forward.”

Veitch said he has “no plans to bring it up at the full board,” and Saratoga Springs’ other supervisor, Joanne Yepsen, the lone Legislative and Research Committee member to vote for the proposal, said she would speak to the City Council before deciding.

The council is scheduled to meet tonight.

City Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan was the lone City Council member to attend the county committee meeting Monday.A supervisor could still technically make a motion to bring the issue before the full Board of Supervisors later this month, but the chances of such a motion being approved are slim.

The county’s tiered committee process is designed to vet out ill-fated resolutions or requests.

“If it has merit, they move it forward,” Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matthew Veitch said. “If they don’t believe it has merit, they don’t move it forward.”

Madigan, who voted for the change in June, and Yepsen said they were both under the impression that city Accounts Commissioner John Franck and Public Safety Commissioner Christian Mathiesen, who both endorsed the last call change, would be allowed to make a presentation to the county committee in August. They thought Monday’s meeting would just be a discussion.

Yet Edinburg Supervisor Jean Raymond made a motion to not back the proposal, saying there was nothing that would change her vote. She said she believed it would take money out of the pockets of business owners and that it was not up to the government to dictate business practices.

“There is no way I’d vote to put businesses in my town or businesses anywhere in this county out of business,” Raymond said. Four other supervisors agreed.

Reached by phone Monday, Mathiesen said he was “flabbergasted and very disturbed” by the vote.

Malta Supervisor Paul Sausville, the committee chairman, noted the City Council didn’t attach any monetary data or evidence to its resolution requesting the change.

Madigan said Mathiesen and Franck were getting ready to prepare that data for the committee’s August meeting.

“It really doesn’t serve the interests of the people of the county or of the city,” Mathiesen said of Monday’s “surprise” vote. He remains steadfast in his position that the city’s downtown late at night is an ongoing problem, particularly Caroline Street, which requires a heavy police presence.

Categories: News Tags: alcohol, last call

Search for News Topics

Recent News Items

Cuomo calls for vaping crackdown based on health concerns

Seen on: The Daily Gazette Tuesday, September 10, 2019 Industry says problems due to illegal vaping products CAPITAL REGION — Calling it a “frightening public health phenomenon,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday directed the state Department of Health to address both the increasing number of cases of vaping-associated respiratory illnesses and the growing use of vaping products byRead More

Two Pieces of Bad News about Pot Legalization —  Rates of Marijuana Poisoning Skyrocket Among Colorado Kids & Stoned Driving Increases in Washington Since “Retail Legalization”  

(Alexandria, VA) – Two significant studies released this weekend showed continuing problems of legalized marijuana in Colorado and Washington State. The first study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that marijuana poisoning cases among children in Colorado has been rising an average of 34 percent per year — almost double the average 19 percent annualRead More

State wide campaign to address heroin and prescription Opioid Use

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched “Combat Heroin,” a campaign designed to inform and educate New Yorkers about the risks of heroin and prescription opioid use, the signs of addiction, and the resources available to help. “Heroin and opioid addiction has impacted families in every corner of our state and stolen the lives of tooRead More

July 15 is a special day for Ballston Spa resident Sean Kelleher

By Lauren Mineau for The Saratogian>> July 15 is a special day for Ballston Spa resident Sean Kelleher. He’ll be three years sober and attending a film screening at Bow Tie Cinemas that he brought to life. “The Anonymous People,” a film on the reality of addiction is being brought to the Spa City atRead More

No Community Has Immunity from Heroin

Photo: MarkBolles.com Story by Arthur Gonick, Saratoga Today NewspaperSARATOGA SPRINGS— We tend to wax romantic about our community. And in truth, compared to other communities, we are relatively safe. As such, we sometimes fall into an illusion that we are insulated from the worst of society’s ills. But at street level, there’s no such illusion.Read More

125 High Rock Avenue, | Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 | 518-581-1230

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Our Programs
  • News & Events
  • Contact

© Copyright 2019. The Prevention Council.