Saranac Lake Village Board sets a Sept. 28 hearing to discuss a proposed 12-month pause on new short-term rental applications. Learn how it affects you.
The Saranac Lake Village Board is scheduled Monday to set a public hearing on a proposed local law that would stop the village from accepting or approving new short-term rental applications for 12 months.
The resolution on the board's Sept. 14 agenda, Bill 168-2026, calls for the hearing to be held Monday, Sept. 28, at 5:30 p.m. in the Village Board Room at 39 Main Street. The moratorium itself is not up for a vote this Monday. The resolution only schedules the hearing.
The draft law, included in the meeting packet and titled the Moratorium Law of 2026, would suspend the village's review of all new, initial applications to operate short-term rentals. That covers both Special Use Permit applications and short-term rental permit applications under the village Development Code.
While the law is in effect, no village board or official could accept, review, hold a hearing on, or approve those applications.
Existing short-term rentals, as defined in the Development Code, would not be affected. Applications already under review by the Development Board when the law takes effect could also continue. Under the draft, the pause would apply to other applications whether they are pending or not yet filed.
The 12 months would begin once the law is filed with the New York Secretary of State.
According to the draft, the village first added short-term rental rules to its Development Code in 2023, through Local Law No. 3-2023, and amended them in 2025, through Local Law No. 1-2025.
The draft says the moratorium would give the village time "to collect data, evaluate the effectiveness of the regulations as amended," and adopt any further amendments needed to ensure the goals of the 2023 law "are being achieved." It does not say what data the village plans to collect or what changes are being considered.
The village already limits the number of permits. At the Development Board's Sept. 1 meeting, Community Development Director Katrina Glynn said the Village Board approved seven hosted and three unhosted short-term rental permits for 2026 in January, and that six hosted permits remained to be issued, according to draft minutes of that meeting.
The same draft minutes show the Development Board tabled an application for two hosted short-term rental permits on Grove Street that night while it awaits county review.
Equipment.
The board will consider transferring up to $93,000 to buy a new Bobcat skid steer to replace a 2011 model, plus a new snowblower and an angle street broom. A separate resolution would transfer up to $20,000 for a snow pusher attachment for a loader, to clear parking lots and downtown streets. Both resolutions authorize the village clerk to publish notice of the intended use of reserve funds, subject to permissive referendum.
A park gets a new name.
A resolution would rename Riverfront Park as Lake Flower Park. According to the resolution, the Parks and Trails Advisory Board recommended the change after deliberating over multiple meetings and holding two public comment opportunities. The board will also consider appointing Mary Glynn and Ren Davidson Seward to the Parks and Trails Advisory Board.
Bills.
The voucher list for the meeting totals $307,994.39 across 54 checks. The largest payments are $107,741 to Upstone Materials for August, $79,861.94 to Central Paving Inc. for paving and milling, and $35,236.33 to the law firm Harter Secrest & Emery for legal fees. The voucher entries do not describe the legal work. The list also includes $10,125.97 to Gomez & Sullivan Engineers for hydroelectric dam relicensing work, including on Lake Flower, and $5,096 to LaBella Associates for Adirondack Park Agency variance negotiations, a hearing and action for Baldwin Park.
Housing grant.
The board will consider authorizing Village Manager Brandee Reiley to apply to the state Office of Community Renewal for a Community Development Block Grant for housing rehabilitation for low- and moderate-income homeowners. Under the resolution, Adirondack Roots, the Housing Assistance Program of Essex County, would administer the program. The agenda does not list a grant amount.
Unpaid taxes.
A resolution would add a $2 penalty to each parcel with unpaid village taxes to cover the cost of mailing the required notices.
Staff.
The board will consider provisionally hiring Ana Rottner-Ruiz Del Valle as principal account clerk, effective Sept. 15. It will also consider authorizing the police chief's travel to the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Orlando, Florida, Oct. 24–27, which the resolution says is covered in the 2026-27 budget. The meeting opens with a proclamation honoring Sgt. Reyanin Brown, who is retiring after more than 20 years in law enforcement, 15 of them with the Saranac Lake Police Department.
The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. Monday at 39 Main Street and is also available on Zoom, meeting ID 868 5612 2537. Under the board's posted guidelines, speakers get up to five minutes during public comment. Written comments can be sent to the village clerk at clerk@saranaclakeny.gov.
Source: Village of Saranac Lake Board of Trustees agenda packet for Sept. 14, 2026, and draft minutes of the Sept. 1, 2026, Development Board meeting.