Ballston Spa trustees approve agreement with Ambient Environmental to clear asbestos variance for library work

The Village of Ballston Spa Board of Trustees voted 3-0 in an emergency meeting to approve a proposal with Ambient Environmental Incorporated and authorized the mayor to execute the agreement so the village can seek a variance needed for asbestos abatement at the village library.

The vote was taken after trustees said the variance must be filed with DEC to allow library renovations and to move the project to the bidding stage. The board’s action follows a request from Andrea Simmons, the library’s librarian, asking the village to assist employees who now lack work because of the library pause. Village legal counsel Carla said there is no additional municipal step employees must take to seek unemployment benefits, “they just go, they fill out the form, and then you just don’t…object to it.”

Mayor (unnamed) told the board the variance is essential to advance work. “Without this, we can’t get the variance done to get it over to DEC,” the mayor said during discussion. Carla, identified in the meeting as village legal counsel, told trustees she had reviewed the Ambient contract and had no legal concerns: “Legally, I reviewed the contract, and I have no concerns.” Trustees then voted to approve the Ambient Environmental proposal.

Trustees and staff noted a rate sheet was attached to the packet PDF for the Ambient proposal; some trustees said their copies stopped at the Ambient materials and did not include the appended rate sheet, and the mayor re-sent the full PDF during the meeting. The board did not identify any village expenditures tied to the Ambient proposal during the discussion; related costs and the schedule for asbestos work were not specified in the record.

Public commenters raised concerns about notice for the emergency meeting and the posting of the agenda. Marilyn (45 West High Street) asked where the agenda and public disclosure had been posted; another commenter, Liz, said she agreed and said she had not seen the agenda online. The trustees acknowledged the comments and proceeded with the two items on the emergency agenda.

Next steps described in the meeting: once the required variance is filed and approved by DEC, the village expects to move the library project to a bidding phase and then to contract for asbestos abatement and related renovation work. No specific start dates or contractor timelines were given at the meeting.