Saratoga News

Council makes appointments to committees, commissions

By Sarah Lombardo

The Saratoga City Council had quite a bit on its plate in the way of ceremonial items at its Nov. 19 meeting.

The council abolished the city's Finance Advisory Committee and created the Finance Commission in the same move. The change, city staffers said, was made to reflect the increase in the committee's workload over the past few years, and to recognize its status as a full-fledged commission on the same level with the city's other commissions.

The number of people serving on the commission has been increased from five to seven, the same as other commissions. Current members of the committee will continue to serve on the commission, and new members were sworn in. Saratoga residents Ching-Li Chang, Nick Streit and Gary Wolf were chosen to serve on the commission for terms ending in October 2001, and Allen Roten was appointed for a term lasting until October 1999.

In other appointments, the council named Barbara Olsen to the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. Olsen's term will expire in October 2001.

Hakone Gardens also made changes to its Hakone Foundation board of trustees. Saratoga resident Joseph Clevenger, Jr., Campbell resident Ian Geddes, Metro Newspapers CEO Dan Pulcrano and Hakone Garden Japanese Cultural Society member John Tauchi were appointed to the foundation's board by a vote of the council and at the recommendation of the board's other trustees.

The board also welcomed Kent Nagano as an honorary member of the board. Each new appointment was made for a term of four years.

The council's ceremonial items didn't end with these appointments: the council also commended members leaving their commissions. Rick Bloomquist, a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission since last year, was thanked by the council for his work supporting youth needs and activities as well as his work during the city's budget hearings earlier this year. Kathryn Weiner, a three-year veteran of the Parks and Recreation Commission, was recognized by the council for her work. The council cited Weiner's service on the Community Parks and Recreation Development Fund Task Force in addition to commending her for her work during the budget hearings.

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