Fridays with the mayor

Editor’s note: We are beginning a weekly dialogue with new Saratoga Mayor Ed Glode, this is intended to become a weekly series of questions and answers.

Glode said he was impressed with the turnout at his first council meeting as mayor. “It was a very positive result on the attendance, and we would like to see the room full every town council meeting,” Glode said. He added that one of his goals with the new council is to keep the operations of the town open to the public, and public attendance only helps that goal.

Glode attributed not reappointing town employees such as the clerk and Chief of Police to the council not having time to properly assess and interview town appointees. “For me to have that homework done by the 6th of January could not happen,” Glode said.

Glode said he will be conducting interviews with town appointees this week and that the council is looking at a “restructuring of the management diagram.”

According to Glode, he does not see any major “shake-ups” coming in the structure of town employees. If an employee has too many responsibilities he said he wants to have the option to reassign those responsibilities. “I want them to be in on the creation of their job titles,” Glode said.

In particular, Glode will be working with Chuck Bartlett, City Engineer, Planning and Zoning Officer, to define his job parameters. Bartlett was handed extra duties after the former water and sewer operator left the town. Glode, who was on the town council from 2007 to 2010 said, “I was never impressed with the job we did as a council when [the previous water and sewer operator] left.”

When asked about temporary appointments for town positions, Glode said that would not happen, “I don’t want to treat anybody like a temporary employee.”

Glode said he is happy to discuss town matters with the public. He hopes to establish regular office hours at town hall which he will announce at the Jan. 20 town council meeting. He is also willing to meet with people at his business office by appointment, so long as the meetings have a predefined time limit.

If you have questions for the mayor, please email Erik at [email protected]. The questions will be asked anonymously.

 

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