By Khalida Sarwari
Mayor Manny Cappello delivered his “State of the City” address last weekend, highlighting hardworking staffers and volunteers and giving residents a glimpse into the various projects that are underway in the city.
Cappello’s Feb. 27 presentation was divided into three parts: finance, projects and commendations.
For the sixth year in a row, he said, Saratoga received the Government Finance Officers Association’s “distinguished budget presentation” award for its 2015-16 budget. He explained that Saratoga is considered a “low tax” city, which means that the city receives the minimum allocation allowed by state law and as such, city services are limited.
He talked also about the impact of Senate Bill 107, legislation that was passed just last September that eliminates a discrepancy wherein Saratoga and three other West Valley cities did not receive their full property tax allocation.
“The property tax takeaway will be eliminated over a five-year phase-in period, with Saratoga eventually receiving an additional $650,000 per year,” he said.
Cappello mentioned also Saratoga’s unfunded accrued liability, a gap between pension assets and pension liabilities that was created by the recession and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s modification of its economic and demographic assumptions which are used in determining a city’s pension liability cost.
Last year, said Cappello, CalPERS identified Saratoga’s unfunded accrued liability at $7.7 million. While the city had the option to pay down this amount over the course of 30 years, the city council decided last February to pay it down by almost half, in effect saving the city $7.1 million in future interest payments and shortening the repayment terms to 15 years.
There are several projects in the works this year, Cappello said. For one, local Eagle Scouts will be working on projects in the coming months to help open unused trails at the new Quarry Park. The city is also working on obtaining an easement from the San Jose Water Company that would bring the city closer to having Quarry Park be a starting point for the Saratoga-to-the-Sea Trail, he said. The 64-acre park officially opened to the public on Oct. 31.
“It’s an absolutely beautiful park and outdoor museum in many ways,” said Cappello. “There are hiking trails, picnic areas, artifacts from a once active rock quarry and the view of the valley from there is incredible.”
This summer, crews will begin making improvements on Prospect Road between Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Lawrence Expressway, Cappello said. The upgrades will include median landscaping, ADA-compliant ramps, sidewalks, bus shelters and bicycle detector loops. “About 88 percent of this $4.75 million project will be paid for through grant funding,” he said.
Also this year, the city council is expected to approve a master plan for Hakone Gardens, the senior center will launch a renovation project and the city council will continue the process of updating the Village Specific Plan, a policy document that was adopted in 1988 and regulates and guides development and land use in the Village.
“So why do an update now? Because it’s been 27 years since the document has been updated and the Village has been, and continues to be, the heart of our community,” Cappello said.
Finally, Cappello announced that the council has approved $1.5 million toward maintaining Saratoga’s 145 miles of roadway over the next fiscal year.
As part of the final piece of his presentation, Cappello acknowledged and thanked a long list of employees and volunteers. He presented commendations to Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputy Donald Whyrock and Santa Clara County Fire Department Capt. Jon Black.
Whyrock, who has worked in the West Valley Patrol Division for the last three years, was named the officer of the year. Cappello noted that in 2013, Whyrock received the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Medal of Valor for his heroic actions when he and a fellow deputy responded to a 911 call in Saratoga reporting a residential fire. The deputies forced their way into the burning house and helped move its elderly tenants to a safe location where they were medically cleared by paramedics, he said.
Black has been a firefighter for 15 years–10 of those with the SCCFD–and was named Firefighter of the Year. In recent years, said Cappello, Black has enthusiastically worked to revive the fire department’s explorer program, which provides youth in the community the opportunity to learn about careers in fire service through experience.
Cappello acknowledged Julie Herndon from the Saratoga Rotary Club, Sue Barrera from the Saratoga Foothill Club and Stan Bogosian from the Saratoga Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
“Service and social groups are so important,” he said. “Groups like Rotary, Foothill and Odd Fellows help stitch together the fabric of community. They bring us together. They help us feel like we’re part of something bigger. An example of this is with the events these three groups put on every year.”
The Saratoga Ministerial Association also received a shout-out from Cappello. The association is made up of clergy from Saratoga’s religious groups. Members meet monthly to share challenges and opportunities facing their congregations, Cappello said. They collaborate regularly on philanthropic projects such as food drives and building houses for those in need, he said, and every Thanksgiving the association holds an interfaith service for Jews, Muslims and Christians.
Cappello recognized Lisa Huening, president of the Saratoga Area Senior Center board of directors; Tom Moran, who chairs the KSAR board, Saratoga’s community access TV station; Lisa Finley, president of the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries board; Annette Stransky, president of the Saratoga Historical Foundation; Ann Waltonsmith, chairwoman of the Hakone Foundation board; and Ginger Lai, president of Saratoga Sister Cities.
“Together, these groups care for our aging, elderly residents, help communicate information and educate through video, ensure that we have a literate community and a supported library, remember and document our history, care for one of our most precious assets, a 100-year-old Japanese estate and garden, and continue a friendship that spans halfway around the world,” said Cappello.
Other VIPs of the day, as noted by Cappello, were Laurel Perusa and former mayor Jill Hunter. Both are members of the Village Gardeners, a group that comes together once a week to help beautify the city. Because of the group’s efforts, the city was named the winner in its population category and given an award for “most beautiful canopy of trees” at the America in Bloom award ceremony in Holland, Mich., last year. They’ve decided to enter again this year, Cappello said.
Finally, Cappello commended Karlina Ott and Charles Bedford of the American Youth Soccer Organization, Sarah Lee from the Saratoga Little League, Beth Kingsley from the Girl Scouts, Pat Martell from the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, Bria Brenizer from Destination Saratoga, Barn Owl owner Leslee Warwick and resident Annette Stransky. The latter two were named the Business Person of the Year and Citizen of the Year, respectively.
The two-hour long program included performances by the Saratoga Taiko Drummers, the Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School Jazz Pop Ensemble, Marshall Lane Elementary School and the Mustang Chorale. Boy Scout Troop 535 led the pledge of allegiance. Members of the Saratoga Youth Commission emceed the event.
Link: Mayor Cappello offers three-part message in State of City address
