Workshoppe holds well-mannered event
I have just attended "Manners for the Millennium," a dining etiquette course presented by Lyndy Janes and Sue Fox of The Workshoppe of Saratoga. It was a fun, stimulating and thoroughly entertaining event (deliciously presented by Sent Sovi restaurant). It reminded me that manners and common courtesy are never out of date. As a long-term resident of Saratoga, I am delighted to welcome a business that teaches a kinder, gentler way of life for all ages.
Deborah Coburn Rice
GGG recommends where cuts can be made
Parks, potholes, sheriff's response time: GGG applauds the effort that the City Council has made in the patient examination and prioritizing of city services. We applaud its effort in accepting the difficult task of cutting $1.4 million from a total budget of $7 million as "doable."
Our thanks to Mayor Gillian Moran for addressing the public forum sponsored by the Good Government Group of Saratoga on the Saratoga City budget, fiscal year 199798. Mayor Moran stressed that Saratoga is a basic-service city with the commitment of providing services the citizens cannot provide for themselves. The City Council's task is to determine the level of service that can be provided without exceeding our budget. The issue then becomes prioritizing with citizen input where these cuts can and must be made.
The Saratoga Good Government Group board strongly encourages the Saratoga City Council to meet the budget deficit by:
1. Administration, management and staff reduction.
2. The recreation department should be self-supporting, including recovery of management cost and overhead.
3. Routine city services, i. e. janitorial services, landscape and park maintenance should be privitized.
4. Hakone Park operations and some maintenance should be turned over to the Hakone Foundation.
5. Review city codes, regulations and the permit process for reduction in order to free staff time.
The GGG board recognizes that the public safety allocation totals a third of our city budget. With the exception of the possible reduction in the amount spent for the resource officer, we do not encourage cuts in the public safety budget. Additionally, we do not encourage using city reserves to cover the shortfall.
There are no easy answers. Let's work together to make these cuts as unobtrusive as possible and recognize the seriousness of our budget deficit.
Burt Kendall
Correction
In the March 19 edition of the SARATOGA NEWS, the funding source for construction of a new swimming pool at Saratoga High School was incorrectly identified. Money for the project would come from the Saratoga Park Development Fund.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, March 26, 1997.
Saratoga
President, Good Government Group
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.