From the Mayor’s Desk: Retreat moves Saratoga City Council forward

On Feb. 10, the Saratoga City Council held its annual retreat. Every year, we utilize this full-day session to discuss collective goals and priorities for the year, along with various timely topics of interest. I have been looking forward to this opportunity to collaborate with my fellow city councilmembers since December.

We started the day receiving a three-year forecast for the city’s finances. We are all well aware of financial uncertainties and challenges in today’s economy, and unfortunately, Saratoga is not immune. The city is facing an impending structural deficit due to several extraordinary factors, including inflation, rising costs, loss of solid waste franchise fee revenue and unexpected expenses due to extreme weather.

Thankfully, we are able to face these challenges and are on track to prepare a balanced budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year. The city council unanimously supported utilizing up to $1 million in reserves to address the deficit, along with reducing our extra unfunded pension liability payment by up to $186,000 if necessary. Later this year, the city council will discuss options to address the deficit in future years.

Next on the retreat agenda was the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) development process. CIP projects can range from major public infrastructure improvements to administrative projects such as technology improvements. We received updates on current projects, discussed funding availability and started thinking about project priorities as we move further into the process.

The next step will be the CIP prioritization study session on March 15. The council asked for additional information to be prepared before the study session, including further details about how capital funding has been used in other cities to create permanent outdoor dining areas, as well as how and where any additional funding would be utilized to improve roads as part of the pavement management program.

The council also received a report on projects funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The city has received a total of $7,213,239 in ARPA funds that will be spent on five stormwater management projects. A series of CIP projects have been created to implement these improvements.

The largest portion of ARPA funds will be used to rehabilitate the Village parking districts by improving the quality of water discharged to Saratoga Creek, relocating trash enclosures, adding accessible parking stalls, creating a stormwater collection and treatment system, and upgrading parking lot lighting. The city council also asked staff to explore installing a public restroom in the Village as part of this work. Visit www.saratoga.ca.us/projects to learn more about some of the city’s major CIP projects, including the ARPA funded projects.

This day spent working with my fellow city council members was incredibly valuable, and made me truly optimistic for the year ahead. I look forward to all we will accomplish together. You can watch a recording of the city council retreat online at www.saratoga.ca.us/watch.

If you are interested in any of these topics, I encourage you to stay engaged throughout the year. Over the next few months, the City Council will be developing Saratoga’s budget for fiscal year 2023-24. Visit www.saratoga.ca.us/subscribe to sign up for notifications you’re interested in, such as the city’s weekly e-newsletter or city council meeting agendas.