Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transparency topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council declines $10,000 addendum for FOIL process modernization after tense debate
Summary
A proposed addendum with Garnet River to expand FOIL (freedom of information) processing support — including a short technology pilot and up to $10,000 in extra funds — failed in a split council vote after extended disagreement over who should lead FOIL reforms.
The Saratoga Springs City Council voted down Jan. 21 a mayoral request to sign Addendum No. 1 with contractor Garnet River to provide additional help on the city’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) processing, in a 2‑1‑1 vote.
Mayor presented the addendum as a short‑term measure to preserve timeliness while staff pursued a permanent FOIL officer and broader technology improvements. The addendum would have increased a previously approved contract by up to $10,000 to allow Garnet River to assist with FOIL processing and to evaluate possible applications of automation.
Assistant City Attorney Tony Izzo described the current workload to the council and noted a jump in volume since the digital age: "FOIL requests never used to be this voluminous but they are now and they're much easier to make now with the digital age and we get quite a large number of them." Izzo said the proposal addressed "a component of" the overall problem, including technology and personnel components.
Commissioner Moran publicly opposed the addendum. In a heated exchange he said he could not support the mayor leading the FOIL reform effort because, he alleged, the FOIL process had been used recently against council members and city residents. Moran said the city needed a "much more comprehensive and robust answer to this problem" and opposed approving the short‑term addendum without that larger plan in hand. The council debated whether a third‑party legal review or a fuller plan should precede additional spending.
When put to a vote the motion failed: two council members voted in favor, one voted against and one abstained. Council members said they will return to the issue at a future meeting with more detailed proposals for a comprehensive approach to FOIL handling and technology.
The mayor's office said the original contract was approved Nov. 19, 2024, for $2,000 and that this addendum would have added not more than $10,000 to allow Garnet River to continue short‑term processing and evaluate AI or software tools to speed responses.
Council members said they remain under statutory FOIL obligations and are pursuing staff hires and policy options; the mayor said the city had interviewed a candidate for a FOIL officer and that additional technical work was underway. The item will return to the council for further consideration.
