Village of Saranac Lake, New York

What Village of Saranac Lake, New York does

The Village of Saranac Lake is a municipal corporation and political subdivision of New York State, operating under New York Village Law within the Town of Harrietstown, Franklin County. It delivers essential municipal services — drinking water, wastewater collection and treatment, road and sidewalk maintenance, snow removal, code enforcement, police, fire, parks and recreation (including the Mt. Pisgah Recreation Center), and community development — to residents and property owners within its boundaries. Core utility infrastructure comprises approximately 40 miles of water mains, 33 miles of sanitary sewer, and a Wastewater Treatment Plant on NYS Route 3 processing roughly 1.8 million gallons per day, serving about 2,135 customer accounts; a Central Garage staffed by three mechanics maintains a fleet of 55 vehicles across police, fire, water, sewer, and DPW functions.

The Village's revenue mechanics are typical of a small U.S. municipality: recurring annual property taxes, quarterly water and sewer billing (with 1.5% monthly interest on overdue balances and re-levy authority onto property tax bills), transactional permit and fee revenue (building, sign, short-term rental, food truck, solar, etc.), wastewater treatment services for state and federal correctional facilities in Ray Brook, and episodic state and federal grant funding from NYSERDA and the NYS DEC. Its go-to-market is direct-to-resident through the Village office at 39 Main Street, an online payment and permit portal, field operations, and public-meeting-based engagement via multiple advisory boards (Housing, Downtown, Arts & Culture, Climate Action, Parks & Trails). Recent strategic emphasis has been on climate action planning, housing affordability, EV infrastructure, and regulated short-term rental oversight, supported by unionized staff (Teamsters Local 687) and contracted partners including the Volunteer Fire Department and engineering firm SDA.

Name

Village of Saranac Lake, New York

Legal name

Village of Saranac Lake

Website

https://saranaclakeny.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Village of Saranac Lake is a New York municipal government providing water and sewer utilities (40 miles of mains, 33 miles of sewer, ~2,135 accounts), public works, public safety, code enforcement, and parks and recreation to residents and property owners within its Adirondack village boundaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB)

Keywords

• Municipal water services
• Wastewater treatment
• Property tax collection
• Building permits
• Parks and recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

Saranac Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Collection: The Village issues and collects Village property taxes annually on June 1st in accordance with New York State law and the adopted Village budget. Property owners must pay at least half by June 30th to avoid penalties, with remaining balance due by August 31st.
2. Water and Sewer Billing: Water and sewer charges are billed quarterly. The village operates water and sewer infrastructure serving approximately 2,135 customer accounts with rates set annually. Outstanding balances may be re-levied onto property tax bills.
3. Permit and Fee Revenue: Revenue from building permits, sign permits, demo permits, fence permits, food truck permits, floodplain permits, tent permits, solar permits, subdivision applications, and various other development-related fees.
4. Short-Term Rental Permits: Revenue from STR permit applications and fees as regulated under adopted STR Law 6-12-2023 with subsequent amendments.
5. Wastewater Treatment Services: The Wastewater Treatment Plant accepts flows from state and federal correctional facilities located in Ray Brook, generating revenue for treatment services.
6. Grant Funding: The village pursues and receives grants from state and federal sources including NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities, DEC Climate Smart Communities, NYS DEC water quality grants, and various infrastructure improvement grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Village of Saranac Lake is a municipal government providing essential public services to residents and property owners, including drinking water delivery through 40 miles of water mains, wastewater collection through 33 miles of sanitary sewer, and operation of a Wastewater Treatment Plant processing approximately 1.8 million gallons daily. The Village also delivers code enforcement, building and short-term rental permitting, property tax billing, community development, parks and recreation (including Mt. Pisgah Recreation Center), public safety contracts, and fleet maintenance through its Central Garage.

Product overview

The Village of Saranac Lake provides a comprehensive portfolio of municipal government services to its residents and visitors. The organization operates as a traditional municipal government rather than a technology company, offering essential public services including water and sewer utilities (with approximately 40 miles of water mains and 33 miles of sanitary sewer infrastructure), code enforcement, finance and tax administration, fleet maintenance through the Central Garage, community development and planning, parks and recreation including the Mt. Pisgah Recreation Center, and various administrative services such as permits, licenses, and vital records. The Village also provides e-government capabilities through an online payment portal for utility billing and municipal fees. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees and supported by multiple advisory boards addressing housing, downtown development, arts and culture, climate action, and parks and trails.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water & Sewer Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Water system serves approximately 2,135 water meters across 40 miles of infrastructure
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Towns of Harrietstown, St. Armand, and North ElbacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater and sewer infrastructure maintenance agreements with neighboring towns. The Village maintains water and sewer infrastructure and provides services to these surrounding communities through various contractual arrangements.
• State and Federal Correctional Facilities (Ray Brook)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wastewater Treatment Plant accepts wastewater flows from state and federal correctional facilities located in Ray Brook, providing essential treatment services for these facilities.
• NYSERDA (NYS Energy Research and Development Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Energy Communities program partner providing grants for LED street lights, plug-in hybrid EVs ($50,000 in 2018), municipal building upgrades ($100,000), heat pumps at DPW and Central Garages ($20,000), and building upgrades ($175,000 CEC grant).
• NYS DEC Climate Smart Communities ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVillage achieved Bronze Certification (2020) and Bronze Recertification (2024) through the NYS DEC Climate Smart Communities program, receiving EV Charger Grant of $482,164 in 2025 and Climate Smart Communities Grant contract in 2026.
• Harrietstown Housing AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplemental Police Services agreement between the Village and Housing Authority for additional public safety coverage.
• Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual fire contracts between the Village and Volunteer Fire Department (2024, 2025, 2026 contracts referenced in resolutions) providing fire suppression and emergency response services.
• Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue SquadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual contract for rescue squad services (2026 Rescue Squad Contract referenced in resolutions).
• SDA (Suozzo, Doty, and Associates)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering services firm engaged for water system treatment projects, wastewater collection system projects, and various infrastructure upgrades. Multiple contract amendments referenced for WPCP upgrades and water treatment plant projects.
• Baldwin Park Project PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEAF Grant for Baldwin Park construction, SEQR lead agency coordination, and conceptual plan funding for Landfill Athletic Fields. Partnership involves multiple governmental and community stakeholders.
• Teamsters Local 687coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective bargaining agreement with Teamsters union representing village employees. MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) approved per Bill 14-2026.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Town of Harrietstown, NY: Surrounding town with overlapping water/sewer service territory; the Village office is physically housed in the Harrietstown Town Hall and they share infrastructure agreements, making them a tightly coupled peer rather than a customer.
• Village of Malone, NY: Franklin County village of similar size and rural character that runs its own water/sewer utilities and public works operations, making it a directly comparable municipal peer in the same NYS regulatory and climate environment.
• Village of Potsdam, NY: Northern New York village of comparable scale that owns and operates water and wastewater utilities, a DPW, and code enforcement functions, sharing the same rural-NY climate, regulatory framework, and small-staff operating constraints.
• Village of Massena, NY: Northern New York St. Lawrence River village of comparable scale that operates its own water and sewer utilities, electric distribution, and DPW, sharing small-municipality utility economics and aging-infrastructure challenges.
• Village of Tupper Lake, NY: Adirondack village of similar scale and economic profile that operates its own water and wastewater utilities, DPW, and parks/recreation services, sharing the same climate, regulatory environment, and small-staff municipal operating model.
• Town of North Elba, NY: Adjacent town that already contracts with the Village for water/sewer maintenance and shares Lake Placid-area infrastructure and workforce markets; operates a similar set of municipal services at the town level.
• Town of Keene, NY: Adirondack town that, like Saranac Lake, provides municipal services including highway, water, and community development to a small, seasonally-influenced population under the same NYS regulatory and climate conditions.
• Village of Lake Placid, NY: Neighboring Adirondack village of comparable size that provides the same portfolio of municipal services — water, sewer, public works, code enforcement, parks/recreation — to a similar residential and tourism-driven population, making it the closest operational peer.

Others

• New York Rural Water Association: Nonprofit association that provides technical assistance, training, and compliance support specifically to small rural water and wastewater systems in New York; not a competitor, but the closest enabling/thematic peer for operational best practice in the Village's core utility function.

Broad incumbents

• City of Plattsburgh, NY: Larger North Country municipality operating a full water and wastewater utility plus all municipal services; not a one-for-one peer in size, but operates within the same NYS DEC/NYS DOH regulatory framework and serves as the broader incumbent reference point for water/sewer utility operations in the region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/saranaclakegov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/village-of-saranac-lake

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Village of Saranac Lake, New York