"The meeting was very informative," said resident Ann Sanquini. "Not only did I learn a lot, it was a good opportunity to meet representatives from the county. Everybody knows city and state officials, but county officials can oftentimes be invisible. It was well worth my time."

Kniss, accompanied by executive assistant Monica Henos and policy analyst Yoyi Franco, visited the Saratoga Senior Center on Oct. 23, where she led an informal group discussion among approximately 20 residents about issues stirring in the county as well as in the community.

One by one, residents raised their hands to express an area of concern, the first one being the Westside Sheriff Substation, which Fire Chief Gordon Duncan described during the meeting as being in inadequate condition and currently not compliant with the American Disabilities Act.

"I wish this wasn't the case," Kniss said. "We're very aware of this particular issue and we're doing what we can to fix it."

Annexation and urban development in the unincorporated hillside areas were other hot topics that generated a lengthy discussion.

"The county's planning department has not been doing a good job in enforcing the rules and regulations associated with building homes on the hillside," said Wanda Kownaski, a hillside resident who recently spearheaded a movement in having some homes in her neighborhood annexed. "The result of that is a neighborhood with a monster-sized home and a problem with protecting the trees."

According to Kniss, annexing properties has become a huge issue within the past year.

"We actually encourage annexation," Kniss said.

However, Kownaski noted that she is mostly disappointed with the way the county has behaved toward the residents.

"The county has to do a better job in listening and responding to the neighbors," she said. "So far, it has shown a total lack of concern about residential input."

Kniss assured Kownaski and the rest of the audience that the county is being as sensitive to the neighbors as possible.

"We are hearing you, no question about it," Kniss said. "We're currently trying to change our own codes so that they will be consistent with the [different cities]. But you have to understand that change won't happen overnight. It's a long process."

Another issue that sparked enthusiasm was the possible development of the 35-mile Saratoga to the Sea trail, which starts on a portion of Highway 9 and continues through an easement near Hakone Gardens. The trail would cut through 50 acres of county property used for mining gravel and enter a piece of land owned by the Santa Clara Valley Water Company. It would then lead to several parks, including Sanborn Park, and ultimately the Pacific Ocean.

According to Vice Mayor Ann Waltonsmith, who was also present at the discussion, all parties involved in making the trail possible, such as the county and the water company, expressed interest in developing their pieces of land.

"Not only would this trail provide a great place for people to hike and camp, it would make the village area a destination place and attract residents from out of town as well as new businesses," Waltonsmith said.

Enthusiasm may be high, but developing the trail would take some time. According to Franco, the city would have to write a letter to the county's board of supervisors. If the board finds the proposal feasible, it would then make recommendations to the parks and recreation commission to amend the current master plan to include the trail.

Kniss also shared some updates about the county's economic woes. The county is currently operating on a $5.1 billion budget, almost $300 million less than previous years. The county receives money from three main sources: 40 percent comes from property taxes and other related fees, another 40 percent of financial aid comes from the state and 20 percent is through federal funding.

"These will be very interesting times," Kniss said. "Property taxes are falling like a rock, and who knows what's going to happen with the new governor."

Kniss gave more alarming numbers. She said that the unemployment rate hit the lowest since 1996 with only approximately 800,000 residents throughout the valley in the workforce and 600 fewer jobs offered in the computer industry, forcing approximately 200,000 people out of the county to look for jobs elsewhere.

In light of the financial situation, Kniss said that the county has made several achievements within the past couple of years, including improving road conditions on Highway 85 using a method called micro-grinding, which is as effective and less expensive. In addition, the county passed an ordinance allowing only certain chemicals to be used in pesticides. So far, the ordinance only applies to county lands, but it is in the process of going to the state level. If it passes, then all cities in California will be affected.