Ballston Spa Board Eyes Equipment Purchases, Ethics Appointments; Art Fair Set for Aug. 22
The Ballston Spa Board of Trustees' July 13 agenda included equipment purchases totaling more than $19,000, five Ethics Board appointments, and a pumper truck contract, though minutes have not yet been published to confirm outcomes. The Committee on the Arts, meeting July 8, set the Front Street Art Fair for August 22 and approved partial grant funding for the Sounds of Summer concert series.
Board of Trustees — July 13
The Board of Trustees met July 13 with multiple departmental purchases, service contracts, and appointments on the agenda. Minutes have not yet been published, so outcomes are pending confirmation.
Agenda items included:
- Purchase of 10 ProCoder water meters from TI Sales for $1,720.00
- Smoke detectors and phone module upgrades for Eagle Matt-Lee Fire Company for $1,874.10
- DPW equipment from Smith Controls for $3,515.00
- Custom leaf box for the DPW dump truck from Michael's Automotive for $9,200.00
- Tree removal near Gordon Creek sewer line by Earth Care, not to exceed $3,100.00
- Contract for a 14-1 pumper truck from Bulldog
- $1,600 for copier maintenance via Repeat Business
- $1,094.96 for Village Court security officers
- Appointments of Peter Martin, Ellen Mottola, Monique Cohen, Anthony Mainella, and Donald Traver to the Ethics Board
- Closure of McMaster Street on July 8, 2026, for a Saratoga250 ceremony
- Pursuit of Pro-Housing Certification, New York Forward, and a CDBG planning grant for Village Hall ADA accessibility
- Road repair and paving projects, water system maintenance, street lighting, and electrical infrastructure work
Committee on the Arts — July 8
The Committee on the Arts approved June 17 meeting minutes by unanimous consent and set the Front Street Art Fair for August 22, 12–4 p.m., rain or shine.
The committee approved partial grant funding for the Sounds of Summer concert series, with a village supplement required to cover full costs. The COA website and email were renewed through GoDaddy at a village cost of $6,250 plus $4,250 in rollover funds.
Other items discussed:
- Holiday banner budget estimated at just under $2,000
- Requested zoning guidance from Trustee DuBuque for a potential Russell's Deli mural; a special permit may be needed
- Iron Spring Park renovations deferred until after the September–October concert series
Coming Up
The Zoning Board of Appeals meets July 29 at the Ballston Spa Library. The board will approve minutes from its April 29, 2026 meeting and consider two variance requests for 64 East Grove Street:
- **Neale Petrillo** seeks to construct a first-floor garage and second-floor dwelling unit, requiring four area variances: front yard setback relief of 13 feet, side yard setback relief of 4 feet, minimum lot size relief of 5,136 square feet, and minimum lot width relief of 32.5 feet. Application fee: $100.00.
- **Sabrina Thibado** proposes a 660-sq-ft accessory building with two off-street parking spaces, raising total building coverage to 16.9% of the 4,864-sq-ft parcel. Variances are requested for the north-side setback (proposed 8 ft vs. required 12 ft) and building height. The east-side setback of 62.6 ft exceeds the required 5 ft, and other setbacks meet code.