Notable Items for Council Meeting on 8/25

As the ending to the summer season approaches, I wanted to highlight some lovely community events over the past couple weeks. Last Tuesday while driving home from work, I met some lovely folks who put together the Schoolapalooza which has been organized every August for twelve years. It has allowed kids and parents to procure free school backpacks, supplies, and used clothing, along with creating a summer extravaganza of face painting, bounce houses, balloon animals, and music. On Saturday, the GEM Festival returned with an afternoon into late evening filled with bands and artists at Mean Max Brewery, Downtown Social, and Golden Monkey. In the age of artificial intelligence, these two events highlight that community action, and human creativity, will thrive.

The Quality of Life Committee public meeting last Monday led to productive discussions on perceived problems and probable solutions for downtown parking permits. The parking survey has garnered over fifty comments from the community, and I want to thank everyone that took the survey and attended the meeting. It shows that our city residents care about its future. I will detail the comments received as well as our discussion notes shortly.

The Common Council public meeting begins at 7:20pm on Tuesday, August 25th, 2026. Be sure to join on the third-floor City Courtroom for a whirlwind of thoughtful public hearings, interesting discussions, and some exciting resolutions. I’ll highlight some resolutions below, but if you want more detail, be sure to delve into the wonderfully organized agenda on the city website.

• The Council will hold a public hearing about a proposed change to the City Code regarding permitting farm stands on certain zoning districts. It will help spur small community farms throughout the city. For more information, please refer to the proposal. And per comments from the Deputy City Attorney, there will more discussion at the Glens Falls Planning Board before the next Common Council meeting.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve a resolution to adopt a memorandum agreement between CSEA and the City of Glens Falls to allow union workers, aside from plow truck drivers, to receive compensatory time for the snow emergency issued on January 26th, 2026.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve the 2026 Glens Falls Comprehensive Plan. Over the past two years, thousands of public comments, and meeting deliberations, the comprehensive plan will provide a long-range framework for land use, economic development, housing, transportation, infrastructure, recreation, sustainability, historic preservation, and community development. To review the final draft, please visit the dedicated website at GFCompPlan.com.

  • As an aside, I am humbly grateful to be a part of this document with Bob Curtis, who was a part of the Comprehensive Plan Committee along with being a City Clerk for decades. His legacy will shine bright as the city embarks on new changes that will ensure it thrives into the future.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve a lease agreement between the Glens Falls Police Department and 911Leasing.com for a 2026 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle. It will cost $76,881.19 over four years with 5.93% interest. To learn more about the loan, please refer to the attached letter in the agenda.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve a change order to an agreement with LaBella Services in regards to the NYSDEC work at the Glens Falls Recreation Center. It will add an additional $50,000 for continued environmental services. To read more, please view the agreement on the agenda.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve a $5501.76 increase for a street striping project, CGF 25-05, that went overbudget. Please refer to the invoice in the agenda.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve an agreement for city parking at the Arrow Bank Parking Lot on evenings and weekends outside of their business hours. Please refer to the agreement in the agenda for more information.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve one mobile permit:

  • Common Roots Brewing, submitted by Keith Johnson, for the Queensbury Hotel Celebration on August 19th, 2026

If you are unable to attend the public meeting and want to have your voice heard, please send me an email at fifthward@cityofglensfallsny.gov.