Saratoga News City prepares inside and out for upcoming winter weather By Sarah Lombardo With winter on its way, the city is gearing up for the rainy season. Although experts are predicting a drier--albeit much colder--La Niña winter this year, city crews are out inspecting creeks and drains to make sure they are free of debris, according to city manager Larry Perlin. "If they are clogged with growth, it can create a blockage," he said. And a blockage can create flooding. Perlin said crews will also check in more rural parts of Saratoga to make sure that areas without sidewalks or curbs are free of debris. And if the city hears word that storms are on the way, crews will begin stockpiling sand for sandbags. City staffers have also met with representatives from the Santa Clara County Water District and Pacific Gas and Electric to coordinate with the liaisons in place, Paula Reeve, an administrative analyst in the city manager's office, said. According to Reeve, the city is also preparing for winter by upgrading its emergency response equipment, right down to new chalkboards in the city's emergency operations center. But the major upgrades include a new radio for communicating with other cities' emergency centers, and a new computer and software designed to assist with damage assessment. The upgrades are thanks to funding granted to the city after last year's storms. The state's emergency management agency gave Santa Clara County some $241,000 in relief funds, and of that money, Reeve said, the city of Saratoga was given almost $9,000. "This is the first time we will have ever received this money," Reeve added. With the new radio and computer in place, the next step is bringing a consultant on board to help revamp the city's emergency response manual--and then to train staffers. "It's all coming together really well," Reeve said. Last winter, the city sustained some $500,000 in damage, thanks to El Niño's rainy wrath. Because Santa Clara County was declared a disaster area by President Clinton, the city of Saratoga was able to file damage survey reports with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for some 12 damage sites around the city. Some of the damage included erosion of the Calabazas Creek bank adjacent to Padero Court, which threatened the road; storm drain failure at Old Oak Way; and a landslide at lower Villa Oaks Lane, which caused about a 10-by-100-foot section of the road to fail; erosion of part of the support to the pedestrian bridge at Wildwood Park. FEMA approved slightly more than $408,000 for the repairs involved in last year's storm damage. According to acting Public Works director John Cherbone, city crews are working to complete the repairs before this year's rainy season kicks into high gear. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, November 18, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.